Cesar Canine Cuisine kicked off the voting campaign for its American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards Monday with "Dancing with the Stars" Champion Julianne Hough visiting patients and therapy dogs at the VA Medical Center-Manhattan / New York Harbor Healthcare System.

The Hero Dog Awards celebrates the thousands of dogs making a difference to people in need every day by providing compassion, comfort and transforming lives with their tenderness and intuition. During her visit to the VA Medical Center-Manhattan, Hough spent time meeting with patients and therapy dogs nominated for the Hero Dog Awards.

Dog lovers can log on to www.HeroDogAwards.org and vote for a hero dog whose story touches them.  For every vote, Cesar Canine Cuisine will make a donation to American Humane Association to help provide more specially trained animal assistance therapy dogs to people who need them most.

Once finalists are determined, they will fly to Hollywood to walk the red carpet and be recognized at the Hero Dog Awards show on Oct. 1, when the winning Hero Dog will be announced.  The awards show will be seen on thevHallmark Channel on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.