Heroes to receive Animal Pride awards

Kerry and Fox are among the recipients of the 1999 Animal Pride Awards, handed out by national campaign group Animal Aid to acknowledge exemplary acts of compassion and heroism. Kerry and Fox will be travelling from Wales to her former home county of Kent to accept their awards.

The other winners are:

• The Canvey Fire Crew in Essex – for rescuing a horse who had fallen backwards into a deep, waterlogged, ditch. Dallas had strayed out of his enclosure into another field and was close to death when the Canvey crew used strops, a land-rover and sheer brute force to haul him to safety. The crew are delighted with their award and will be along, in full uniform, to accept it.
• Simon Wild and Sussex Wildlife Protection Group – for saving Copper the fox from certain death by the local hunt. After retrieving Copper from the hounds, they plugged the rabbit hole he’d bolted down with a helmet loaned by a compassionate police officer (who is sadly unable to accept his Animal Pride award). When the coast was clear, Copper was rushed to a vet and treated for shock and internal bleeding. Thanks to Hydestile Wildlife Hospital in Surrey, he is now fully recovered and has been released into an area where hunting is banned.

Animal Aid Director, Andrew Tyler, says:

“We all love heart-warming stories, so couple this with acts of outstanding bravery and you have a guaranteed winning story! This is what Animal Aid’s Animal Pride Awards are all about – highlighting the amazing capabilities of both people and animals to show compassion for one another under extraordinary circumstances.”

The Animal Pride Roadshow is a fun-filled, educational day out. There is face painting for the kids, an interactive CD-ROM to keep the teenagers occupied and a celebrity video. Participants and shoppers are invited to sign the Animal Pride declaration which states: ‘I believe that all animals have the right to a life free from cruelty and abuse.’

Notes to Editors

• Award details:Simon Wild and Sussex Wildlife Protection Group, Churchill Shopping Centre, 11am, 10 July, Brighton, Sussex. Presenter – David Lepper, Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion.Kerry Halpin and her dog Fox. Chequers Shopping Centre, 11 am, 17 July, Maidstone, Kent. Presenter – Mayor Frances Brown.Canvey Fire Crew, Lakeside Shopping Centre, 11am, 7 August, Essex. Presenter – actor Bill Murrey from The Bill .
• Please see notes to editors.