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Announcing the 2013 Pet Hero Award Winners
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winner tributes & profiles coming soon
• Christie Brinkley
Supermodel & Actress - Humanitarian of the Year
• Lou Wegner
Actor, Founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty - Outstanding Junior Pet Hero
• Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons
Outstanding Shelter
• Main Line Animal Rescue
Outstanding Rescue Organization
• The Cesar Millan Foundation
Outstanding Foundation
• An Act of Dog
Animal Welfare Arts Award
• ASPCA
Animal Welfare Education
• Subaru
Outstanding Corporation
• Jane Hoffman
Director of the Mayor’s Alliance of New York City, Outstanding Director
• Teresa Meekins, DVM
Outstanding Veterinarian
• Jerome and Riki Shaw
Outstanding Philanthropist
• Frenchie
Outstanding Dog
• Guardians of Rescue
Outstanding Volunteer
By showcasing these outstanding contributions, we hope to inspire everyone to become involved in defending the rights of animals. Pet Hero Awards promote public awareness of the causes that protect our animals. The Pet Hero Awards celebrate individuals, associations, professionals, pets and business organizations that demonstrate a commitment to improving and protecting animal lives. Our belief is by recognizing role models, others will aspire to excellence, as well. Our Advisory Board Members are solely responsible nominating potential Pet Hero Award candidates. It is essential that this group be totally committed to our cause and willing to invest the time and/or financial commitment necessary to keep our awards program standards of excellence intact.
Meet our 2012 Pet Hero Award Winners
Pet Humanitarian of the Year
Jill Rappaport was always known for her stellar work on the red carpet, interviewing every A-LIST star and covering all of the entertainment award shows. She was NBC Today Show's "star reporter" in every sense of the word and for 16 years she was the 'go to' gal for "All Things Entertainment!" But in 2007 her life and career changed forever when her beloved dog Jack got bone cancer, had his leg amputated and underwent chemotherapy. While chronicling his recovery on Today, the response was so overwhelming for her beautiful 11 year old German Shepherd that she realized animal issues were her true calling. Sheasked her boss at NBC to change her beat to cover "All Things Animals!"
So after 16 years of being the entertainment correspondent, her title was changed to "Animal Advocate". She jokes, "I went from the red carpet to the wee-wee pad and I couldn't be happier!"...
Read Jill's Full Tribute and Profile
Rescue Organization of the Year
Amazing how a South Carolina retired nurse’s determination to adopt a rescue dog led to the formation of Pilots N Paws, an organization of over 2,600 pilots that volunteer their time, airplanes and fuel expenses to transport tens of thousands of shelter animals from certain death to safety. Amazing, that is, unless you know Debi Boies, Co-Founder.
Debi Boies, a long-time animal rescue advocate, wanted to save a Doberman Pinscher destined for “death row”. She was aware of an existing organization of volunteers that coordinated a caravan of drivers, changing pets from vehicle to vehicle to reach their new homes, but realized the stress this caused to the pets. Discussing this dilemma with her friend, a private pilot Jon Wehrenberg, she thought for a moment. The light bulb went off. Flying! “Pilots look for reasons to fly," he told her, and as a result, Pilots N Paws was born...
Read Debi's Full Tribute and Profile
Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation - Jonathan McCann
Shelter of the Year
The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation was founded in 2010 as a call to action when the town decided it could no longer care for the animals at the town shelter premises. Not only were the 225 animals currently housed there in jeopardy, so were all others that would be found. It was the selfless financial, emotional and personal determination of their Board of Directors that initiated this remarkable new rescue organization.
The President of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, Jonathan McCann, is totally absorbed in the daily activities of the shelter, as are all of their officers and Board members. When he speaks of the challenges of meeting the needs of animals at the shelter, he frequently mentions the past and present “residents” by name. Jonathan resides in Sag Harbor on his bayside estate with his horses, dogs, guineas, parrots and numerous other companion pets...
Read Jonathan's Full Tribute and Profile
Sony Schotland, Co-Founder of Arf of the Hamptons
and Southampton Animal Shelter
Founder's Award of the Year
When Sony Schotland left her homeland in France and arrived in the United States as a teenager, she was already an avid animal lover. Little did she realize that this affinity would lead her into a lifetime commitment! Over 50 years ago she started a campaign to prevent our Long Island animals from being euthanized by horrible methods. With the help of two other women and Cleveland Amory, an animal organization was founded in the Hamptons that is now recognized as being one of the finest in the nation, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. Most everyone knows it by the acronym, ARF. Sony served on ARF’s Board for 37 years before she faced an even greater challenge.
Being recognized as a leader in the pet community, the town of Southampton asked Sony to serve on their advisory committee relating to animal issues where she met Susan Allen, another member of the committee. The town suddenly announced that due to fiscal difficulties the shelter would be shut down. the scope of the peril for the 225 animals living there at the time was incredulous The town’s only involvement as requested by law would be to pick up strays , These strays could have been euthanized if they remained unclaimed for more than five days. And yes, that includes lost and missing companion pets with loving families trying to find them...
Read Sony's Full Tribute and Profile
Sharon Levine and Richard Rubin,
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and Horse Rescue
Political Action Award
Richard Rubin and Sharon Rubin Levine are cRichard Rubin and Sharon Rubin Levine are co-founders of Baiting Hollow Farm Horse Rescue. In the fall of 2007, they were approached
by a horse rescue organization concerning an old barn and some corrals that were being under-utilized at the Rubin family farm in Baiting Hollow. Richard and Sharon were presented a picture of a year old Thoroughbred filly, Angel, who was in a kill pen in Pennsylvania. Since that rescue organization's facilities had no remaining space, there was a tear-filled request begging Sharon and Richard to save this beautiful horse. It didn’t take much persuasion; destiny took its course with this family of dedicated animal lovers.
Angel arrived right away at their doorstep with two other horses in tow! This passion for saving horses has led to the expansion of the Rubin family's existing facilities to accommodate 25 horseso-founders of Baiting Hollow Farm Horse Rescue. In the fall of 2007, they were approached by a horse rescue organization concerning an old barn and some corrals that were being under-utilized at the Rubin family farm in Baiting Hollow. Richard and Sharon were presented a picture of a year old Thoroughbred filly who was in a kill pen in Pennsylvania. There was a tear-filled request (since that Rescue's facilities had no remaining available space) to try to coerce the Rubin family into saving this beauty. It didn’t take much persuasion; destiny took its course with this family of dedicated animal lovers.
This beautiful filly arrived right away at their doorstep with two others in tow! A commitment was made to immediately save a couple of others and so began their four year journey. This passion for saving horses has led to the expansion of their existing facilities and numerous mini-barns to accommodate 25 horses...
Read Sharon and Richards's Full Tribute and Profile
Dr. Joseph C. Ramaekers, D.V.M.
Veterinarian of the Year
Dr. Ramaekers’s contributions to animal health make him the perfect choice for “Veterinarian of the Year”. Well respected and widely renowned, Dr. Ramaekers has traveled extensively worldwide where he has served as an international consultant on animal nutrition. From the onset of the opening of his veterinary practice in Santa Cruz, California, Dr. Ramaekers has had a great interest in the nutritional approach to animal health. He began his research in 1969, performing extensive environmental analyses of soil and water. In addition to traditional diagnostic methods, his thorough approach includes hair analyses, blood chemistries and nutrient analyses. By identifying nutritional deficiencies and toxicities he turns to nature to find cures. He is a firm believer that every ailment can be treated with natural remedies; it is up to humans to find those natural cures.
By focusing on preventative medicine, he discovered many nutrients with powerful medicinal value. Dr. Ramaekers is passionate about improving animal welfare and preventing diseases before they occur. His 40 years of global research and clinical experience help him successfully develop many remedies that are now being used by other knowledgeable and dedicated veterinarians...
Read Dr. Josephs's Full Tribute and Biography
Zoe Kamitses, Arf of the Hamptons Volunteer
Volunteer of the Year
The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc. (ARF) a 501(c)3 nonprofit adoption nominated Ms. Zoe Kamitses for the “Volunteer of the Year” Pet Hero Award. Zoe is the Chairperson of Operation Cat, a feral cat TNR program that has been responsible for neutering over 15,000 cats on eastern Long Island since the program began in 1997. She is a year-round resident of Southampton Village with a long history of community volunteerism.
As a board member of ARF, Zoe was concerned by the large number of angry phone calls the adoption center received about stray and feral cats. Before Operation Cat, ARF’s only recourse was to call Animal Control. Animal Control would euthanize the cats. Zoe went on line and learned about the Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego. Back in 1997, that was about the only resource that came up on her internet search. How things have changed...
Read Zoe's Full Tribute and Profile
Amazing Pet Award
Each and every pet owner believes his or her animal deserves the “Amazing Pet Award” and the Board of Directors of the Pet Philanthropy Circle agree; however, only one pet per year can win. The challenge of selecting a single animal for this award required the direction of many pet advocates who helped screen numerous candidates. They came up with a real winner, Dolce, leaving the challenge of ever finding a future “Amazing Pet” that is accomplished as this one. Dolce is the "spokes-dog" for the University of Pennsylvania, Vet School. In association with the Vet Pets Visitation Program, Dolce has spent 8 years with had over 150 visits to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House and numerous other visits to libraries, summer camps, local conferences and events. In addition to Dolce’s civic responsibilities, he competes in agility and fly-ball and entertains his fans as a Champion Trick Dog. In addition to his 150 bag of tricks, he has many attributes we feel deserve recognition...
Read Dolce's Full Tribute and Profile