WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, September 22, 2021 — Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley, who hosted the inaugural broadcast of the American Humane Hero Dog Awards®, every animal-lover’s favorite event of the year, is returning to host the 11th annual two-hour celebration of the awards on Hallmark Drama on Wednesday, October 20 at 9 pm ET/PT, 8 Central. This star-studded annual celebration of heroes on both ends of the leash, sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, honors outstanding working dogs from around the country, and the list of celebrity presenters and VIP appearances includes (in alphabetical order): Nikki DeLoach, Vivica A. Fox, Richard T. Jones, Jason Lewis, Ross Matthews, Barbara Niven, Marcel Spears, Alison Sweeney, Jenna Ushkowitz, EJ Williams and Ariel Winter.
The evening will honor seven courageous canines whose work has improved and saved lives, including:
LAW ENFORCEMENT & DETECTION HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “K-9 Hansel” from Millville, NJ
SHELTER HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “Deputy Chance” from Cape Coral, FL (sponsored by Lulu’s Fund)
GUIDE/HEARING HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “Henna” from Albuquerque, NM
MILITARY HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “SSG Summer” from Mt. Airy, MD
SEARCH AND RESCUE HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “Little Man” from Oklahoma City, OK
SERVICE HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “Sobee” from Holt’s Summit, MO
THERAPY HERO DOG OF THE YEAR: “Boone” from Hookstown, PA
To read all the Hero Dogs’ stories or for more information about the 2021 American Humane Hero Dog Awards®, please visit www.herodogawards.org.
And because behind every hero pet is a hero vet or veterinary nurse, American Humane will also be announcing the winners of the 2021 American Humane Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Nurse Awards™, sponsored by Zoetis Petcare (a U.S. business unit of Zoetis) at the Hero Dog Awards. Read these heroic professionals’ stories and keep up with all the action at www.HeroVetAwards.org.
About American Humane
American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more information, please visit www.americanhumane.org. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and to inquire about Hero Dog Awards sponsorship opportunities, please email Mari Harner at [email protected].
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 separate 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. For more than 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, and a groundbreaking new program with American Humane in Palm Beach County. Lois Pope recently donated to American Humane several Lois Pope Rescue 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 animal emergency services and cruelty responses within a region.
On Oct. 5, 2014, Mrs. Pope saw the completion of a decades-long dream – the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which was dedicated by President Obama in Washington DC. It will stand in perpetuity as a reminder to the public and legislators of the courage and sacrifices of the four million-plus living disabled veterans and all those who died before them, as well as the need to be vigilant in assuring their support and understanding the human cost of war. Through her advocacy, Oct. 5 every year will serve as a National Day of Honor for disabled veterans.
A mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother, Lois has trained for and completed five New York City Marathons.
About Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel, owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc., is Crown Media Family Networks’ flagship 24-hour cable television network. As the country’s leading destination for quality family entertainment, Hallmark Channel delivers on the 100-year legacy of the Hallmark brand. The network features an ambitious lineup of original content, including movies, scripted primetime series, and a lifestyle show, “Home & Family.” Additionally, Hallmark Channel is the exclusive home to world premiere presentations of the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise. Dedicated to helping viewers celebrate life’s special moments, Hallmark Channel also offers annual holiday programming franchises including Countdown to Christmas and many other seasonal offerings. Rounding out the network’s slate are some of television’s most beloved comedies and series, including The Golden Girls and Frasier.
For more information, please visit www.crownmediapress.com
To visit the network website, please visit www.hallmarkchannel.com
Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube
About Lulu’s Fund
Lulu’s Fund, which is part of the Timothy T. Day Foundation, was founded in 2012. Named after the Day’s beloved pug Lulu, Lulu’s Fund continues the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations in the animal rescue community throughout the United States. Organizations that receive support from Lulu’s Fund are primarily those that rescue abused, neglected and abandoned dogs. Their focus is to treat existing medical issues, provide spay and neuter services, place dogs in safe foster homes, and ultimately find forever homes for the animals. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.tdayfoundation.org.
