Protective Pit Bull Wins 'Dog of Valor' Award

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- D-boy, an Oklahoma City family's pit bull, received a special honor for bravely saving his family from an intruder.

D-boy suffered injuries in December after the intruder shot him three times. Oklahoma City residents came to the support of the heroic dog, helping the Shoemaker family with D-boy's medical expenses.

The Humane Society of United States held an online poll. After more than 6,000 people voted, the Dog of Valor, People's Hero Award was given to D-Boy.

It was just six months ago, D-boy was recovering after an intruder shot him three times. The dog scared the man out of his family's house and kept the Shoemakers safe.

"If he wouldn't have distracted the guy, the guy probably would've shot me," said Roberta Shoemaker. "I didn't know what to do he told me to get down on the ground, and I was so scared, I couldn't move."

D-boy saved the lives of everyone there on that fateful day.

"If he wasn't there and wouldn't have done what he did, I could've came home to no family," Angelic Shoemaker said.

The family knows how special D-Boy is and now the rest of the country is showing its love for a dog who went beyond the call of duty. Out of 15 finalists, D-Boy walked away with the Humane Society of the United States' Dog of Valor award.

"D-boy's story really touched the heart of the majority of the voters and he won the dog version of the People's Choice Award," said Cynthia Armstrong, director of the Oklahoma Humane Society of the U.S.

It's an honor his family hopes will change people's views of pit bulls.

"All pits are not bad," Roberta Shoemaker said. "I mean, just because of the breed of the dog, doesn't mean they're bad."

There's no question D-boy's exceptional, and his family plans to stand by him for years to come.

"We love him," Angelic Shoemaker said. "We're grateful to have him in our lives."

D-Boy will also receive a sterling silver dog tag for winning the award.
 
More on News9.com:

• Heroic Pit Bull Up for National Valor Award
• Hundreds Respond to Family's Heroic Pit Bull
• Family Dog Takes Bullet to Save Family