Animal Welfare Advocates Honored at Petco Foundation Gala

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When discussing the creative process, Pablo Picasso once said that “I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.” At the recent Petco Foundation awards gala, visions that had transformed from reverie into reality by individuals and organizations with a passion for compassion–as well as the seeds of new ideas that have yet to grow–both received recognition at a soiree that was truly “A Celebration of Love.”

Hosted by actress/animal advocate Jane Lynch of Glee fame, as 500 guests applauded awards were presented to:

• Karl Booker, who received the Unsung Hero Award from dog behaviorist Victoria Stilwell (It’s Me or the Dog) for his dogged devotion to the hardest-to-place pooches at Lifelife Animal Project, a non-profit which cared for more than 16,000 companion animals in the last year alone.

Victoria Stilwell congratulating honoree Karl Booker:

• The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, a non-profit organization in Charleston, West Virginia, which received the Paul Jolly Compassion Award for raising its lifesaving rate from 35 percent in 2012 to 91 percent in 2014, and maintaining a rate greater than 81 percent in successive years.
• The Los Angeles Coalition for Pets and Public Safety, which garnered the Spay Neuter Award for lowering the problem of pet overpopulation in the L.A. area by sterilizing more than 100,000 companion animals.
• Mission K9 from Houston, Texas, which was presented with the Helping Heroes Award for reuniting retired Military Working Dogs, Contract Working Dogs and other dogs who serve and protect with their former handlers, or finding forever families for the courageous canines.
• NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations for Clear the Shelters, a campaign which received the Love Amplified Award for helping more than 70,000 dogs and cats from coast to coast and in Puerto Rico find forever homes thanks to NBC and Telemundo-owned television stations which prompted potential pet parents to tune in to the option of shelter adoption.
• Lifeline Animal Project, an Atlanta-based non-profit which took in over 16,000 dogs and cats in 2016, and managed close to a 90 percent save rate, garnering the organization this year’s Lifesaving Impact Award.
• Brian Devine, the former Petco CEO and Chairman, who was recognized for his creation of, and commitment to, The Petco Foundation with the Founder’s Award, presented by Lucy Pet Products.

The “Innovation Showdown” Competition

In true Shark Tank style, Daymond John–a star of the hit ABC series–joined Jackson Galaxy from the Animal Planet series My Cat from Hell and Suzanne Kogut, the Executive Director of the Petco Foundation, as judges for the “Innovation Showdown” competition, which also took place during the gala.

Animal welfare finalists Brandywine Valley SPCA and Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) both unveiled their strategy for saving the lives of companion animals who face their fate in the shelter system, with each finalist receiving investments from the Petco Foundation in order to put the following concepts into action:

• “Mama in the Box,” an idea thought up by the minds at Brandywine Valley SPCA, which will make the care of bottle-baby kittens easier and safer with its portable design.
• “The ACC Digital Shelter,” a proposal pitched by staff at Animal Care Centers (ACC) of NYC, which will bring adorable adoptables directly to New Yorkers through an interactive digital kiosk experience.

Congratulations to all the winners–and to the many adoptables who will be winning for years to come!

Photos courtesy The Petco Foundation