It has been a week of celebration for The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund,with a pair of events that honor individuals making a difference. On Saturday, Iattended the 23rdAnnual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills, which recognizes members of themedia and the entertainment industry for their coverage of animal protectionissues. "Grey's Anatomy," "Bolt," "The Simpsons," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," andABC's "20/20" and "World News with Charles Gibson" were among the top winners.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were honoredwith the prestigious Wyler Award for their work to raise awareness ofanimal issues and to help pass California's Proposition 2, which phases out theextreme confinement of veal calves, breeding pigs, and laying hens onindustrial factory farms. California State Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-SantaBarbara) was recognized for passing a billto ban the use of lead ammo in the habitat of endangered Californiacondors, and for introducingnew legislation to crack down on dogfighting, puppy mills, and animalcruelty.
Just a few days earlier, in Washington, D.C., we held aspecial reception in the U.S. Capitol to honormembers of Congress who were leaders on animal protection legislation in2008. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was recognized as 2008 HumaneSenator of the Year for his work to ensure the safety of pet food, ban the importsof dogs from foreign puppy mills, and toughen the regulations for puppy millsin the U.S., while House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) was named2008 Humane Representative of the Year, for his work to strengthen the federallaws against animal fighting, track animal cruelty crimes, and ban the exportof horses for slaughter.
A bipartisan group of four senators -- Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tom Carper(D-Del.), and David Vitter (R-La.), in addition to Durbin -- and 32representatives joined us for the reception, and dozens of congressional staffmembers stopped by to spend time with HSUS and HSLF staff. There were even acouple congressional dogs in attendance, as Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) broughthis dog Kaylee, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) brought Maya, who comesto the office every day with staff member Josh Salpeter. You can watcha slideshow here and see photos from the event.
All the award winners are top dogs in our view. We see cruelty and abuse every day in our work, and it's important to take a step back and celebrate the dedicated and compassionate lawmakers, reporters, producers, and advocates who represent the best of the human spirit and are making a meaningful difference in the lives of these creatures.