Sign In

Hometown Hound 2020

June 15, 2020

The suspense was killing us.

Charlie Brown, the German Shepherd therapy dog, is America’s Hometown Hound 2020, having captured 8,200 votes.

Wallace, the French bulldog, claimed second place with 6,200 votes, and Tilly, an adorable handicapped dog, came in third with 4,500 votes.

All three dogs hail from Plymouth homes, but the competition was region wide.

Since its March launch, The America’s Hometown Hound competition drew 236 submissions and about 65,000 votes.

The competition stretched from March into June, with fans voting for their favorites day after day, week after week. When the final 25 were announced, participants were encouraged to vote their favorite every day. They did.

When a dog received 500 votes, that seemed surprising. But then thousands of votes were rolling in, making this one popular idea, care of Pam Ranheim, owner of Just Around the Corner Dog Walking and Cat Sitting in Plymouth. Ranheim came up with the notion of a dog ambassador, elected annually to represent the town, with the winner announced at the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce’s hugely popular Bark in the Park event.

She launched America’s Hometown Hound, which became a welcome distraction from 2020 news that has disheartened so many.

The Bark in the Park event was rescheduled for June in light of the pandemic, and then that date was canceled.

It’s unclear when and if it would be rescheduled again, so on June 6 Just Around the Corner PR staffer Sarah Jane Tollman could be seen on the America’s Hometown Hound Facebook page announcing the winner.

Charlie Brown’s parents, Susan and Steve Brown, will receive a free photo shoot of their dog with photographer Kelli Wagner, free flea and tick treatments from Burgess Pest Management, and dog training by Ken Brady of To the Rescue Canine Training of Plymouth.

Second and third place winners receive gift cards to Pappa’s Pet Store in Manomet, Dog Spot Designs bandanas, treats and some toys as well as certificates for free services at Just Around the Corner.

Charlie Brown will be the face of Bark in the Park until next year, when another competition reveals a new winner. He will be included in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, even if it’s virtual this year, and will serve other functions as Plymouth’s 2020 dog ambassador.

Here is his write-up:

“My specialty is social non-distancing – as a youngster I went to the Plimoth Plantation Farmer’s Market to greet children, merchants, other dogs, and even sheep. I was so regular that they called me the unofficial Market Mascot. I passed my AKC Canine Good Citizen’s Test in the middle of the 2017 Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Pilgrim Memorial State Park. And then, thanks to the wonderful DOG B.O.N.E.S. program, I became a registered therapy dog. Now I visit hospitals, nursing homes, and schools like Plymouth South Middle School. I have a regular weekly gig at BID-Plymouth Hospital and Spaulding Rehab Hospital. I love swapping kisses for treats with patients and staff as I make the rounds thru the Lab, Radiation Oncology, ER, Senior Behavioral Center and two recovery units. Unfortunately, I’ve been temporarily laid-off from both jobs – I miss sharing the good feelings and hope to be back soon. I also love going into Town Hall for dog-tags and beach permits, the local Fire Station for Open House and Photo-with-Santa events, and of course greeting the DPW Crews and Police Detail Officers on our well-maintained street projects. Late afternoons you can find me at Hedges Pond Recreation Area or the Elmer Raymond Park where I’m considered an excellent tennis ball retriever. Each night ends with a tasty soup bone from Piantedosi’s Court Street Butcher Shop. It’s good to be Charlie Brown.”

Register Your Dog

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more