VALDOSTA – A local service dog has been nominated for the American Humane’s 11th Annual Hero Dog awards.

Bradley Valor, a service dog belonging to Ryan Bodge, is in the running for American Hero Dog alongside more than 400 dogs in the national competition.

The first round of voting for semifinalists opened to the public Thursday, March 25, and continues until May 6.

After two more rounds of voting, the winner will be announced in the fall, according to a statement from American Humane.

Bradley, a golden retriever born in May 2016, came to Ryan Bodge through Valor Service Dogs – which he now works for and uses Bradley to help train other service dogs.

The Valdosta man said he suffers from “dark days” stemming from his time in the military.

The veteran spent 27 years in the Security Armed Forces in the ground troop and took eight tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired as lieutenant colonel and is a Purple Heart recipient.

Upon returning home from each deployment, he found himself counting down the days until he was able to fight once more.

During a 2006 trip to Iraq, he sustained a brain injury from a blast, he said. While he was able to rehab and continue deploying, Ryan Bodge said he still required assistance.

“It’s been a long couple of years,” Ryan Bodge said. “Every once in a while, I’ll get to a point where I don’t want contact with anybody or anything, and Bradley kind of has a way of reaching me when no one else can.”

He said part of what makes Bradley a hero is his ability to inspire others to get service dogs.

Ryan Bodge said Bradley gives him something to care for daily.

“I have this amazing service dog that depends upon me as much as I depend upon him,” he said. “ … Bradley forced me to slow down and kind of realize, hey, life is pretty good. He’s just absolutely amazing. The more places we go, the more well-known he is.”

Tiffany Bodge, his wife, believes Bradley’s hero status lies in her confidence that the golden retriever saved her husband’s life.

She said speaking about the matter makes her emotional.

“He’s almost saved Ryan from himself,” she said. “… Ryan didn’t find value in being here. … That breaks my heart; but, with Bradley, he sees past that. … He sees so much value in Bradley that he now makes it his life’s work to train other service dogs. … Bradley epitomizes a hero dog.”

Tiffany Bodge helped Bradley get nominated for the American Humane award after learning about it on social media.

Bradley is nominated in the service dog category. Other categories are guide/hearing, law enforcement and detection, military, search and rescue, shelter and therapy.

The winner in each category will move on the national stage at the televised award show where the American Hero Dog will be revealed, the American Humane statement read.

“Getting recognition not only for service dogs but other types of dogs, as well – It’s just really important that we understand (that) these dogs … have a serious job,” Tiffany Bodge said.

“What Bradley does is really, really important for Ryan. He’s not just a pet, he’s a medical tool. He gets his daily dose of Bradley helping him to navigate life.”

She said while Bradley does not completely eliminate challenges for Ryan Bodge, Bradley does make his days easier to get through.

She said Bradley is able to connect with Bradley using nonverbal cues.

“When he got Bradley, I saw a significant change in him. Bradley was able to reach him in a way his family can’t. He’s able to make a connection with Ryan without saying a word,” she said.

“It’s been life-changing. … We have two heroes in our household; one has two legs, one has four. He’s saved Ryan’s life. We still have really hard days, and we still struggle, but the struggles are a little bit easier because he has Bradley with him.”

The second round of voting for the American Humane awards is from May 27 through July 15 and the third round is from July 29 through Sept. 7.

All rounds open and close at noon Pacific Time, organizers said.

To vote for Bradley and to see a full list of competitors, visit https://bit.ly/39gw4dw.