Canadian Animal Heroes Honoured for Life-Saving Deeds
Fiercely determined, courageous and tenacious. These are a few of the characteristics describing the four amazing animals Nemo, Ace, Sophie and Jarod inducted into the 41st annual Purina Animal Hall of Fame this morning in Toronto. Honoured in a formal ceremony at PawsWay Pet Discovery Centre, the permanent home of the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, each of these animal heroes demonstrate how the unique bond between animals and people can ultimately save a human life.
We look forward to the Purina Animal Hall of Fame every year because its a wonderful opportunity to honour family pets and service animals that take care of us every day, and pay tribute to their extraordinary life-saving acts, said Mary Siemiesz, Executive Director of the Purina PetCare Legacy. Were especially excited now that the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has a permanent, year-round home at PawsWay, where animal lovers can be inspired by these extraordinary animals and learn about their life-saving stories.
As one of the longest running pet recognition programs in Canada, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has honoured the heroic acts of pets and service animals for over 40 years. Since its inception in 1968, more than 140 animals have been inducted 117 dogs, 24 cats and one horse. Canadians from coast-to-coast can also visit www.purina.ca/about/halloffame to relive the past 41 years of pet heroes, and even submit their own pet hero story for consideration in the 2010 Purina Animal Hall of Fame.
This year, three pets and one service animal each demonstrated fearlessness, intelligence and devotion in saving the lives of their owners, family members, and, in one case, even a complete stranger. Some of this years inductees may be small in stature but they are all big in heart, and exemplify the extraordinary bond that exists between humans and animals, said Siemiesz. They remind us why we adopt, rescue and welcome pets into our lives, with their unspoken friendship, unconditional adoration and unwavering loyalty.
As difficult as it is to say, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Jarod, said Donna Perreault, owner of 2009 inductee, Jarod. He saved my life by bravely fighting off a bear, and protecting me as well as our other dog Meesha. He is a godsend to us, and I'm so happy that the Purina Animal Hall of Fame is recognizing his courage.
The Purina Animal Hall of Fame Inductees
Sophie (Olds, AB)
Early one morning, Mary-Ann Lazurko awoke to Sophie, her one-and-a-half year old Bijon Frisé, vigorously tossing about on her bed. As Mary-Ann tried to calm Sophie down, she thought she heard noise coming from her diabetic daughter Belinda's room, but disregarded it and tried to fall back to sleep but Sophie wouldn't let her. She began to pace peculiarly back and forth across the bed. When Mary-Ann got up Sophie instantaneously bolted to Belinda's room. Mary-Ann rushed after the dog and discovered that Belinda had slipped into a diabetic coma. Her daughter was unresponsive and her blood sugar had plummeted to a dangerously low level. Being a paramedic, Mary-Ann desperately tried to revive her while her husband called 911. Upon arrival, the ambulance crew started Belinda on an IV and was thankfully able to help her regain consciousness. Thanks to Sophie's diligence and persistence, Belinda has recovered and is forever grateful to Sophie.
Jarod (Genelle, BC)
Last fall, Donna Perreault looked out her window to see a black bear charging her then 12-year old Chow Chow, Meesha. Terrified and full of adrenaline, Donna ran outside to protect Meesha, not realizing that her other Chow Chow, Jarod, had instinctively followed her out the door. Within seconds, the bear turned on Donna. Jarod, now 8-years old, immediately jumped between them, boldly attacking the bear, and then acted as a decoy by bravely running behind the garage. The bear took the bait and followed Jarod giving Donna and Meesha time to safely return inside the house. Jarod ran around the Perreaults property just long enough to lose the bear and ultimately save his family. This is a true rescue story in every way. Donna had rescued Jarod from a shelter when he was 6-years old and he has shown his gratitude by rescuing her and Meesha in return.
Nemo (Toronto, ON)
At twenty-one pounds or nine-and-a-half kilograms Nemo, a black and white domestic shorthair cat may seem an unlikely hero but for Angela and Peter Papadimitriou he is a lifesaver. Early one morning in September, Nemo hopped up on Angela and Peters bed demanding attention loudly meowing, nudging and even swatting Angela. Not the typical cuddling behaviour of this very affectionate cat, Angela rolled over to ask her husband about Nemos odd behaviour. What she discovered was that Peter wasn't breathing and didn't have a pulse. Panic-stricken, Angela immediately called 911. Paramedics arrived within minutes and used a defibrillator to get his heart beating again. Had Nemo not sensed that something was wrong, Angela would not have identified Peters condition in time, an outcome that is unfathomable for Angela to even consider. Nemo is not only Angela's best buddy, he is also her hero.
Service Animal of the Year: Ace (Hamilton, ON)
Ray Lau, a Hamilton Police Search and Rescue team volunteer, was pleased to adopt Ace, an energetic and rambunctious Dutch-Shepherd. In late December, after extensive training, Ace went to work for the very first time searching for a woman who had been missing for three full days outside, following a massive and lengthy snowstorm in Ancaster, Ontario. Ray and Ace were three hours into their search when Ace suddenly bolted away, giving indication that he detected a human scent. Ace ran through the deep snow at full speed for roughly 75 metres. Then, he stopped suddenly, lowered his head, and started barking repeatedly into the snow. Looking down, Ray saw a face peeking out from the snow the missing woman had been found and to everyones amazement was still alive and conscious. Had Ace not found her when he did, the outcome would have been very different. Ace demonstrated his true purpose that day: to save others just as Ray had saved him.
At Nestle Purina PetCare, we are pet owners too. Our commitment to pets, responsible pet ownership and the unique relationship we have with our pets is reflected in our promise, Your Pet, Our Passion®. In addition to the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, Purina supports various animal associations, such as National Service Dogs, Dog Guides Canada and Pacific Assistance Dog Society and sponsors national and regional and national breeder shows.For more information about the Purina Animal Hall of Fame please visit www.purina.ca/about/halloffame.