During all the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, I happened to miss this story: a black lab saved a man from drowning in flooded New Orleans. The dog, now called Katrina, helped pull the drowning man to higher ground. He gives her full credit for saving his life.
The story came out from Los Angeles based station KCAL when the rescued man told the tale of his amazing rescue. After the broadcast, the station sent a team back to New Orleans to rescue Katrina.
Katrina got a standing ovation on Saturday March 18th at the annual Genesis Awards, from the Humane Society of the United States.
The Genesis Awards aren’t just for four legged heroes. The Genesis Awards, now in their twentieth year, recognize those who help the cause of animal rights. Twenty awards are given out to people and projects on television and in the movies.
This year, one major focus of the Genesis Awards was the heroes from the gulf coast disaster of last year. Other awards went to seven television stations and networks for their reporting on animal rescues after Hurricane Katrina. And a special award went to dedicated volunteer Jane Garrison, who rescued more than a thousand animals in a little more than six weeks. She did all this while living in her car. The special awards segment on the gulf coast disaster was hosted by Ben Stein.
Animation lovers will be glad to know that Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit won an award for Outstanding Feature Film. The film was chosen for the award because it was Gromit’s canine savvy that helped them win the day with a unique form of pest control.
You can catch the Genesis Awards airing in May on Animal Planet. Look for the two hour special on Saturday, May 6th and Saturday, May 13th.