Celebrating animal heroes for 25 years

Starting local, expanding global 

To spread awareness about rescue and conservation—and to inspire the general public to help and advocate for animals—beginning in the 1990s, we started an educational programme, Animal Action Week. Held the first week of October each year, we recognised everyday heroes and got the community thinking about ways they could take action, too. We provided free wildlife- and conservation-themed educational resources to students around the globe—it was the biggest event of its kind in the world. 

From there, we had the idea for the Animal Action Awards. Hosting an awards event helped shine a spotlight on the incredible rescue and conservation work happening in the UK—getting the attention of politicians, journalists, and other influential people who can help spread the word and make a difference. 

Starting in 1999 and up until 2023, we hosted the event at the House of Lords and honoured primarily UK-based winners. But since IFAW’s work is global, we aimed to go bigger. Now, award winners hail from all over the world, and we gather to celebrate them each year at the BAFTA headquarters in London, with international attendance. 

Last year, six out of nine winners came from outside the UK, and we received nominations from 29 countries. This year, we’re celebrating animal heroes from Belize, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and Zimbabwe. Growing the Animal Action Awards into an international celebration has given us the opportunity to highlight the threats species are facing around the globe and applaud the unique ways in which people are saving lives, promoting conservation, and supporting our mission of animals and people thriving together. 

Past winners 

Let’s look back at some of the incredible animal heroes we’ve honoured over the years. 

Caroline Gould: Our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 went to Caroline, the founder and manager of Vale Wildlife Rescue Centre in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Caroline continues to treat thousands of animals, from birds and badgers to hedgehogs and foxes, every year. 

Joan Lockley: Hailing from Walsall, West Midlands, Joan was awarded our Hedgehog Rescue Award in 2015. Since founding the West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue in her own back garden, Joan has taken in thousands of sick and injured hedgehogs for rehabilitation. She also works to educate the public about threats to this important species. 

Nigel and Sara Hicks: In 2018, we gave our International Conservation Award to Nigel and Sara of Launceston, Cornwall. After Nigel spent 25 years as a large animal veterinarian, the pair began volunteering in Borneo in 2009, spending six months every year providing veterinary treatment and general care to orphaned and sick orangutans. 

Jasper the cockapoo: In 2021, Jasper was our Animal of the Year. Working with his owner, hospital chaplain and counsellor David Anderson, Jasper has supported patients at the East Lancashire Hospitals as a therapy dog. During the pandemic, he also began supporting staff, giving them a safe, relaxing, non-judgmental space with a furry friend. 

Charles Emogor: Having recently finished his PhD at the University of Cambridge, where he designed and implemented behaviour change interventions to protect pangolins, Charles won an Animal Action Award in 2024. He founded Pangolino, a global foundation raising awareness about pangolin trade, and developed a tool that enables law enforcement to calculate the scale of pangolin trafficking based on seizures. 

We are honoured to celebrate seven more winners this year at the 25th annual Animal Action Awards. They join a legacy of dedicated, passionate, and heroic individuals who have committed themselves to the highest standards of animal welfare and conservation.