Meet Goosey, the American Humane Hero Dog Awards finalist making a big difference in Baton Rouge

When Goosey arrived at Aimee Broussard’s home in December 2023, he weighed less than 6 pounds. The nearly 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had endured months of neglect, leaving him with a long road to recovery. 

Now, almost 14 pounds and healthy, he spends his days bringing comfort to people across Baton Rouge. His work recently earned him national recognition as a finalist in the 16th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, an honor that brought him to New York City for an appearance on The Today Show. 

Goosey’s journey from a dog in need of saving to one helping others heal is what makes the recognition especially meaningful, says Broussard. 

“It’s the full circle-ness of it for me,” Broussard says. “Goosey was a dog who was given up, who needed an entire team to show up for him. He now shows up for others in the community.” 

Broussard, who has fostered dogs for Cavalier Rescue USA for about a decade, first met Goosey when he was surrendered to the rescue in Mississippi. What followed was seven months of rehabilitation. 

“I knew he was special,” Broussard says. “He just had such a tall hill to climb.”

By the time Goosey recovered, Broussard had grown attached. She officially adopted him on his second birthday in July 2024. 

His name also carries a personal connection. Broussard previously had a Cavalier named Lucy, whom she affectionately called Lucy Goosey. After losing Lucy, she became involved in rescue and learned more about the health risks associated with irresponsible breeding. When she adopted Goose, she added a “y” to his name to honor Lucy. 

Goosey was introduced to therapy work because Broussard had previously volunteered with another Cavalier, Milo, who retired from therapy work because of a heart condition. After several years without a therapy dog, she began to wonder whether Goosey might be able to follow in Milo’s footsteps. 

She enrolled him in obedience classes through the Louisiana Capital City Obedience Club in 2024 and he quickly demonstrated that he had the temperament and social skills needed to work around other dogs and people. Goosey earned his Canine Good Citizen Advanced designation and joined Bayou Buddies Pet Therapy at the beginning of 2025. 

Since then, Goosey has visited nursing homes, worked with LSU student-athletes and participated in programs at Knock Knock Children’s Museum. He is also one of the six therapy dog teams at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. 

Goosey also regularly visits people living with Alzheimer’s disease through Capital Area Alzheimer’s Services and has participated in hospice visits. While those experiences can be emotionally challenging for handlers, Broussard says Goosey has a remarkable ability to make people feel comfortable. 

“I truly believe that Goosey wouldn’t have the gift that he has, and I wouldn’t be asked to do something unless I was also equipped to handle it,” Broussard says. 

The Hero Dog Awards recognized dogs across several categories, including therapy, service, shelter, law enforcement and military work. After nominations, the competition narrows to finalists through a combination of public voting and storytelling.

Broussard nominated Goosey in July, and his supporters rallied around him. Sharing voting links throughout the city in Baton Rouge’s airport, Knock Knock Children’s Museum and even outside the LSU athletic department ticket office. 

Broussard says the goal was never necessarily to win overall.

“I just wanted a rescued Cavalier to be the first to do it,” she says. 

The finalist recognition brought Goosey and Broussard to New York City, where they appeared on The Today Show alongside two other finalists: a guide dog named Eddie and a Chicago police detection dog named Rosie. 

Unlike the highly trained working dogs, who aren’t allowed interaction while working, Goosey’s job was much simpler. 

“He lives to be pet,” Broussard says. 

Because he was the only dog on set that could be freely pet, he spent much of the morning being passed from room to room for attention, says Broussard. In the show’s green room, actress AnnaSophia Robb stopped to give him love, saying “what a winner.”

Although Goosey didn’t take home the top Hero Dog Award, the experience is only the beginning. The finalists will gather in Washington, D.C., in December for the awards gala, where Broussard will accept Goosey’s recognition. 

She hopes the platform will help raise awareness about therapy dogs and rescue animals. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are often well suited to therapy work, Broussard says, but she wants people to understand that adopting a rescue dog can be just as rewarding as raising a puppy from the beginning. 

“You don’t have to purchase a high-dollar puppy and train them from puppyhood in order to do this work,” she says. 

She says Goosey’s story is a reminder of what can happen when an animal is given another chance. While Broussard handles the scheduling, transportation and training, she says the connections Goosey makes during visits belong entirely to him. 

“We are a team; I couldn’t do it without Goosey, and Goosey couldn’t do it without his Uber driver,” she says.