Staffordshire Bull Terrier Asha and Logan Claim Crufts 2026 Hero Dog Award

Asha, an eight-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and her owner Logan Dagnall claimed the Royal Kennel Club Hero Dog Award on the final day of Crufts 2026, with Paralympian Jessica-Jane Applegate MBE delivering the announcement to a packed bp pulse LIVE arena at the NEC in Birmingham on Sunday 8 March.

Asha had been shortlisted in February as one of five finalists in the Young Person's Champion category. The public vote ran across all five finalists' stories, with over 37,000 votes cast nationally before the winner was revealed at the show. Social posts from the arena described emotional scenes as Asha's name was read out.

Logan and Asha were presented with the award and a cheque for £5,000 from the Royal Kennel Club Charitable Trust, directed to their chosen charity, West Wales Poundies. The four other finalists each received £1,000 for their own chosen dog charities for reaching the final.

Jannine Edgar, Chief Executive of the Royal Kennel Club, said: "Our warmest congratulations to Asha, this year's winner of the Royal Kennel Club Hero Dog Award. What they have achieved and the support they continue to provide is truly exceptional. The remarkable bond between Logan and Asha is inspiring. We were honoured to celebrate all of our finalists, each of whom has made an extraordinary impact on the lives of their owners and wider communities. Their stories encapsulate exactly why dogs are known as 'man's best friend.'"

The Hero Dog Award exists to spotlight dogs whose actions have had a demonstrable, positive impact on people's lives. For a breed that still battles unfair reputations in some quarters, an eight-year-old Staffy walking away as the nation's top canine hero at the world's greatest dog show is about as definitive a rebuttal as it gets.