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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO NATIONAL EDITORS:
A Day For Heroes! Voting Now Open For American Humane Association Hero
Dog AwardsT; Now Accepting Nominations For American Humane Association
Hero Veterinarian And Hero Veterinary Technician AwardsT
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today is a
special day for heroes, both two- and four-legged alike. American
Humane Association, the oldest national humane organization, is
pleased to announce that the semifinalist round of public voting is
now open for the 2014 American Humane Association Hero Dog AwardsT,
presented by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation. The organization also
announced that online nominations are now being accepted for the
inaugural American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian and Hero
Veterinary Technician AwardsT, presented by Zoetis Inc., which also
serves as the online sponsor for the Hero Dog Awards.
Eight finalist dogs and two veterinary professionals will be flown to
Hollywood to take part in the fourth annual Hero Dog Awards gala at
the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, September 27, to be broadcast
nationally on Hallmark Channel in late October. There they will walk
the red carpet, conduct VIP interviews, and attend the awards show and
black-tie gala where the winning 2014 American Hero Dog, Hero
Veterinarian, and Hero Veterinary Technician will be announced.
The American public is now invited to visit www.herodogawards.org to
vote for their favorite dog in each of eight categories: Law
Enforcement Dogs, Military Dogs, Arson Dogs (sponsored by State Farm),
Search and Rescue Dogs, Guide/Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs (sponsored by
Modern Dog), Therapy Dogs (sponsored by Zoetis), and Emerging Hero
Dogs for ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things (sponsored by
Trupanion Pet Insurance). One vote per category per day can be
submitted until June 6 when this round of voting ends. This year, 24
spectacular semifinalists (the top three in each category) will be
chosen in the first round of public voting. The second round,
featuring a combination of public and celebrity voting, will narrow
the field to the eight category finalists, who will then compete for
the grand prize of 2014 American Hero Dog.
Each of the eight finalists will win $1,500 for their chosen charity
selected from the contest's list of 15 charity partners. The top
winner will win an additional $5,000 for their charity partner.
And Behind Every Healthy Pet (and Other Animals) is a Hero Vet or Hero
Vet Tech! Pet owners and animal lovers alike are also invited to visit
www.herovetawards.org to nominate their favorite veterinary
professionals dedicated to the betterment of the health and welfare of
animals and the promotion of the human-animal bond. These awards are
not limited to companion animal veterinarians. Professionals from all
fields of veterinary medicine are eligible for entry including, but
not limited to those who work in: research, specialist fields,
emergency services, shelters, and those who work with large and exotic
animals. The five finalists in the American Hero Veterinarian and
American Hero Veterinary Technician categories will be selected by a
special blue-ribbon panel of judges consisting of celebrities,
veterinary professionals, and animal care professionals. Beginning
June 13, the American public will be invited to vote online for their
favorite veterinarian and vet tech.
"Hero dogs do so much to keep us safe, happy, and healthy. It is the
least we can do to honor them on their special night every fall. We
can't wait to meet the 2014 class of Hero Dogs," said Dr. Robin
Ganzert, American Humane Association's president and CEO. "And to us,
all vets and vet techs are heroes, and this is why we want to honor
the best of the best in their field."
This star-studded event draws animal lovers and celebrities from all
over the world. Celebrity presenters and the celebrity judges who work
with the public on the final two rounds of voting of the Hero Dog
Awards to determine the semi-finalists and winner have included
Victoria Stilwell, Betty White, Whoopi Goldberg, Joey Lawrence,
Miranda Lambert, Kristin Chenoweth, and many, many more. Even
celebrity dogs are getting involved: "I believe all dogs are heroes!"
says American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards National Spokesdog
Super Smiley, who with handler, actress, and "The Pet Lifestyle
Coach@" Megan Blake have their own show on Pet Life Radio and advocate
to get shelter pets adopted.
"There is nothing better than a dog to provide warmth, comfort and
often life-saving care for people," added Lois Pope. "It has been my
honor to serve as the presenting sponsor of the American Humane
Association Hero Dog Awards for the past three years because of the
important place dogs have in all our hearts. Each and every one of
these brave canines and their owners are heroes in my book."
"We are excited to partner with American Humane Association for the
American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary
Technician AwardsT," said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, Group Director of
CAD Veterinary Operations at Zoetis. "We are deeply appreciative of
everything the veterinary community does to benefit pets, farm
animals, working animals, and more; these awards are our way of giving
back. We cannot wait to meet the winners who will be shining examples
of the heroic work done every day by our Hero Vets and Hero Vet
Techs."
About American Humane Association American Humane Association is the
country's first national humane organization and the only one
dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Since 1877,
American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually
every major advance in protecting our most vulnerable from cruelty,
abuse and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding
the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine and society.
American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day
through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that
span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can
help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at
www.americanhumane.org today.
About Lois Pope, The Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc., and LIFE
(Leaders in Furthering Education) As one of America's leading
philanthropists, Lois Pope has positively impacted the lives of
individuals at the local, national and international levels. She has
established three different organizations dedicated to helping those
in need. These organizations are the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc.,
Leaders In Furthering Education (LIFE), and the Disabled Veterans'
Life Memorial Foundation. Over the last 20 years she has been the
driving force behind the Lois Pope LIFE Center at the University of
Miami School of Medicine, The American Veterans Disabled for Life
Memorial, a summer camp program serving thousands of underprivileged
children and a groundbreaking new program with American Humane
Association in Palm Beach County. Lois Pope has recently donated two
Lois Pope Red Star Vehicles. Each rescue vehicle is a 50-foot long
response unit, complete with a Ford F-350 truck and trailer, which is
specifically designed and outfitted to provide an array of emergency
services within the region. To learn more visit www.life-edu.org or
call 561.865.0955.
About Zoetis Zoetis (zo-EH-tis) is the leading animal health company,
dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building
on a 60-year history as the animal health business of Pfizer, Zoetis
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and
medicines, complemented by diagnostic products and genetic tests and
supported by a range of services. In 2012, the company generated
annual revenues of $4.3 billion. With approximately 9,300 employees
worldwide at the beginning of 2013, Zoetis has a local presence in
approximately 70 countries, including 29 manufacturing facilities in
11 countries. Its products serve veterinarians, livestock producers
and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals in 120
countries. For more information on the company, visit www.zoetis.com.
Zoetis is the proud sponsor with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling
Exhibitions and the American Veterinary Medical Association of the
mobile educational exhibit Animal Connections: Our Journey Together.
Families visiting the exhibit will explore the vast bonds between
people and animals and learn about the important role veterinarians
play in protecting animal and human health. For more information,
visit https://www.zoetis.com/animal-connections-tour/.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/DC97343LOGO
SOURCE American Humane Association
-0- 03/07/2014
/CONTACT: Scott Sowers, 202-677-4228, scotts@americanhumane.org
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/DC97343LOGO
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.americanhumane.org
CO: American Humane Association
ST: District of Columbia
SU: ANW PET AWD SVY
PRN
-- DC79291 --
0000 03/07/2014 19:08:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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