Raina has been blind and deaf since birth. Now she's up for the 'Oscars for canines'

For Raina, a 13-year-old dog from Perkasie who was born both blind and deaf, disability means possibility.

The pup is now a semi-finalist in "the Oscars for canines," the annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, featuring five categories of standout dogs. Raina is competing in the Emerging Hero category.

Finalists will be selected after the current voting stage — which you can participate in online — ends Aug. 24. If Raina becomes a finalist, she will have the opportunity to receive American Humane’s Hero Dog Award on national television.

"It's a good natured competition, it's not like the Eagles versus the Cowboys," Raina's owner Kristen Strouse said. "We already feel like winners."

Raina is being recognized for the community service she has performed alongside Strouse as well as the fearlessness she has displayed throughout her life.

When Strouse adopted Raina she started volunteering with Blind Dog Rescue and began fostering puppies. Rather than being protective to these foster puppies in her home, Strouse said Raina "showed them the ropes," including helping them identify where the treats were located.

When Strouse began attending rescue events and fairs to raise "much-needed funds" and awareness for Blind Dog Rescue, it was Raina who was by her side.

At the time that she adopted Raina, Strouse taught chorus and orchestra at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Brick, New Jersey, and began thinking about how she could incorporate community service into her music education program.

"That's when I created the Lending a Paw program where my students would perform in fundraising concerts for local shelters," Strouse said. "And that's a lot of the work that Reina did to educate, inspire and show people that, you know, disability means possibility."

Later, Raina was featured in a 27-second public service announcement which was recognized by REELabilities, a film organization supporting performers with disabilities.

"Whether your disability is visible or invisible, whether you are a dog or a person, disability means possibility," Strouse, who has an "invisible" autoimmune disease disability, said in the video.

Strouse stresses that Raina "has a good life," despite her inability to see or hear. She has swam in the ocean, hiked on mountains and, of course, she absolutely loves her treats.

"You look at her and you see the smile on her face, because she doesn't know she's different," Strouse said. "She thinks she's a normal dog."

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County dog named a semi-finalist in American Humane dog awards