The ASPCA Unveils its 2024 Humane Awards Recipients

Since the 1980s, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has presented the annual Humane Awards. These awards honor both inspiring animals and individuals who have made exceptional contributions to advancing the ASPCA's mission of preventing cruelty to animals across the United States. They also recognize animal heroes who, over the past year, have shown extraordinary efforts and dedication to animal welfare.

Today, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?) unveiled its 2024 Humane Awards recipients, honoring both people and animal heroes from across the country who have gone above and beyond to bring attention to animal welfare and better the lives of those around them. The 2024 ASPCA Humane Award honorees, including Grammy-winner Emmylou Harris, Emmy-Award-winner Steven Latham, the NYPD and the Dog and Cat of the Year.

Following a nationwide public call for nominations, the ASPCA reviewed hundreds of entries and selected winners in five categories, including Dog of the Year, Cat of the Year, the Equine Welfare Award, the Presidential Service Award, and the Henry Bergh Award, which is given to an individual or institution exhibiting exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to animal welfare, named after the ASPCA’s founder.

“Our 2024 ASPCA Humane Award honorees perfectly exemplify the mission of the ASPCA to support the most vulnerable and bring the critical protection of animals to the forefront of all of our minds,” said Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA. “From working on the front lines of disasters, to using their platform to advocate on behalf of animals who are unable to advocate for themselves, we couldn’t be more grateful for the service of this year’s Humane Award recipients. For more than 150 years, the ASPCA has been at the forefront of animal rescue and protection, and our work is made possible thanks to the combined compassion and dedication of people and animal heroes across the country, especially this year’s honorees.”

DOG OF THE YEAR AWARD: Harper

Harper, an adorable black lab mix, was one of 22 dogs that was confiscated in a hoarding and neglect case and placed with the Humane Society of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The shelter staff quickly contacted Search Dog Foundation (SDF), an organization whose mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by rescuing and recruiting dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. SDF spent four days evaluating the new group of dogs, and out of the whole group, they determined that Harper showed great potential for becoming a disaster search dog.

Harper was formally accepted into SDF’s program in January of 2020, and the decision was made for Harper to be a candidate in the pilot program to train Human Remains Detection (HRD) canines for California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2). CA-TF2 is the West Coast’s only internationally deployable task force comprised of physicians, HAZMAT specialists, rescue specialists and canine search specialists. Harper was one of three HRD canines prepared for CA-TF2, and she graduated on May 28, 2021. SDF paired Harper with firefighter Edward Ruiz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The team trained diligently with their CA-TF2 teammates and achieved FEMA certification in Ohio on July 10, 2022.

Since that time, Ed and Harper have deployed multiple times, including to Hurricane Ian in Florida and more recently to the deadly wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. Alongside nearly 40 other canine teams, they searched through ash and debris for those lost in the devastating wildfire that swept through the Lahaina community on August 8. Ed and Harper stand ready to deploy the next time they are called upon to assist, bringing closure to loved ones and ensuring no one is left behind.

CAT OF THE YEAR AWARD: Lola-Pearl

Lola-Pearl, a 5-year-old dilute Tortoiseshell cat, was born with a birth defect that left both her back legs severely twisted. She was found and taken to Green Hills Animal Shelter in Trenton, Missouri. At only 4 weeks old, the shelter recognized that Lola-Pearl would require extensive, specialized medical treatment to thrive, so they reached out to Animal Lifeline of Iowa, a special needs rescue, and they agreed to take Lola-Pearl into their care. Animal Lifeline provided dedicated care for Lola-Pearl, straightening one of her back legs and amputating the other.

During that time, Juanita Mengel, a cat lover and an above-the-knee (AK) amputee, had learned about Lola-Pearl and her need for a loving home. Juanita, a volunteer with several rescue groups, transporting, fostering, and rescuing cats, is also a retired RN, who volunteers with the national organization Amputee Coalition visiting new amputees, training, and certifying new peer visitors and giving presentations at their annual conferences. Juanita reached out to Animal Lifeline, and once Lola-Pearl had recovered from her amputation at about six months old, Juanita flew to Des Moines, Iowa to officially adopt her and bring her home to her six rescue kitty siblings, most with special needs including two amputee cats. Lola-Pearl soon proved to be a stand-out cat, showing signs of being a perfect therapy cat like her brother cat BruceE-Sockets, who is also an amputee.

Once Lola-Pearl was old enough, she completed an evaluation through Pet Partners, a national therapy animal organization, and officially became certified as a therapy cat. Since then, Lola-Pearl and Juanita have visited clubs, organizations, companies, hospital staff, colleges, extended care facilities, and elementary schools where children are fascinated with her limb loss as well as Juanita’s, providing great teaching moments regarding limb loss and that being different is okay.

Lola-Pearl does everything other cats do; she runs, plays, and climbs the cat tree. She is fitted with and gets her prosthetics specially made from the same Prosthetist who makes Juanita’s at American Orthopedics in Columbus, Ohio. Juanita puts Lola-Pearl’s prosthetic leg on her every morning and takes it off her at night just like she does her own. Lola-Pearl and her mom Juanita believe that whether you are a person or an animal you can be limitless in limb loss and along the way can help and encourage others in life.

HENRY BERGH AWARD: Emmylou Harris

A 14-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris’ contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2018.

Harris is one of the most admired and influential women in music. She has recorded with such diverse artists as Linda Ronstadt, Daniel Lanois, Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Ryan Adams, Beck, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, and Rodney Crowell.

Related: Shelters Race to Find Homes for Pets in ASPCA's $100K Challenge

A longtime social activist, Harris has lent her voice to many causes. Most passionately to animal welfare. In 2004 she established Bonaparte's Retreat with the goal of rescuing shelter dogs and adopting them into loving homes. To this day, Bonaparte's Retreat continues to save dogs most in need at Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control and at municipal shelters in surrounding counties.

EQUINE WELFARE AWARD: Steven Latham

Steven Latham is the Producer and Co-Director of The Mustangs: America's Wild

Horses, which is also executive produced by Robert Redford, Patti Scialfa Springsteen and Jessica Springsteen. He created and produces the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Shelter Me, which celebrates the life-changing relationships between people and animals. The episodes have been hosted by John Legend, Jane Goodall, Kristen Bell, Jon Hamm, Kristin Chenoweth, Hilary Swank, Allison Janney, Edie Falco, Jane Lynch, Wendie Malick, Daymond John, Paula Abdul, Jackson Galaxy, and Katherine Heigl. Steven began his production company with a biography series he created with Barbra Streisand called, The Living Century, which focused on people who were at least 100 years old. He also produced and directed for the science series, NOVA, and made the only film about the TED Conference. Prior to launching his company, he worked at Ketchum Public Relations, Grey Advertising, Paramount Pictures, PolyGram Television and Universal Worldwide Television.

Steven lives in Los Angeles with his two dogs and cat. He grew up with a Chincoteague pony from Virginia and graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications.

PRESIDENTIAL SERVICE AWARD: NYPD

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the United States, with approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees. The NYPD was established in 1845, and today, is responsible for policing an 8.5-million-person city, by performing a wide variety of public safety, law enforcement, traffic management, counter terror, and emergency response roles.

Ten years ago, the ASPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in the country, joined forces with the NYPD to combat animal cruelty and ensure animals are protected under the law. The NYPD formed its Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, a unit dedicated to the investigation of animal-related crimes across the five boroughs while the ASPCA brought on former NYPD executives and ADAs to provide around-the-clock support for officers and district attorney’s offices and ensure effective collaboration and communication across agencies.

Through this partnership, the NYPD is the primary agency responsible for enforcing animal cruelty laws, while the ASPCA directly cares for animal cruelty victims by providing critical support including forensic evaluations, medical care, behavior assessments, treatment, and enrichment, housing and placement, as well as legal and investigative support in criminal cases.

With the expanded enforcement capabilities of the NYPD, the ASPCA has been able to treat record numbers of suspected animal cruelty victims in New York City each year – a nearly 300 percent increase since the inception of the partnership – while the NYPD has dramatically increased the enforcement of animal crimes in the five boroughs, and the NYC district attorney’s offices have successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases involving abused and neglected animals. Since the partnership’s inception, more than 5,000 animals have been removed from situations of suspected cruelty, and more than 28,000 NYPD officers have been trained by ASPCA subject matter experts to effectively recognize and respond to suspected animal cruelty.

What a wonderful way to honor the individuals and organizations that have made significant efforts to help animals at risk of cruelty, abandonment, and in need of assistance. The ASPCA does incredible work in raising awareness and providing support for animals in need.

For more information on the 2024 Humane Awards Luncheon or to make a donation to the ASPCA, visit ASPCA.org/2024HAL. Your support will help the ASPCA continue to provide local and national leadership in three key areas: helping pet owners access affordable care for their pets, securing second chances and positive outcomes for at-risk animals, and rescuing, treating, and rehabilitating victims of animal cruelty and neglect.