animal heroes from around the UK to receive awards

(London) – Animal heroes will tomorrow (Tuesday) receive prestigious awards for their outstanding work from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org).

IFAW’s annual Animal Action Awards ceremony will be hosted at the House of Lords with awards presented by naturalist and broadcaster Bill Oddie.

This year’s winners include Aberdeenshire couple Pauline and Keith Marley who have rescued and rehabilitated an estimated 15,000 wild animals and birds in need of care over the last 13-and-a-half years and currently look after around 750 wildlife patients at any one time. Also receiving an award will be Bristol-based vet Elisa Best, who founded a craft conservation charity to galvanise public support for centres rescuing rhinos and other threatened African wildlife, initially through knitting blankets for animal orphans.

James Sawyer, UK Director of IFAW, said: “We are honoured to be able to highlight the amazing work carried out by all of the winners of IFAW’s 2019 Animal Action Awards. Each winner’s story is truly inspirational and we are sure they will encourage others to do all they can to help protect animals.”

This year’s Animal of the Year Award goes to Scottish search and rescue dog Diesel, a 10-year-old springer spaniel who works with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He is also one of a small and very select team of UK dogs whose specialist skills are used by the UK International Search and Rescue Team, which assists after earthquakes and other natural disasters overseas. In 2015 Diesel was deployed to search for survivors of the devastating earthquake in Nepal. His primary day-to-day role is urban search and rescue, searching for survivors when buildings collapse, such as after gas explosions. He is also used to help in searches for vulnerable missing persons, often children or elderly people.

Also honoured is Helen Renshaw, from London, for her volunteer work helping improve the lives of sick and injured horses in Egypt. Receiving awards alongside Helen will be Jo Collins, from Ipswich, for her dedication to rescuing stranded and injured seals and other marine mammals, as well as Kim Cooling, from London, who has improved the lives of tens of thousands of street dogs in Sri Lanka through her rescue centre and veterinary clinics.

Awards will also be presented to Linda Hewett, from Portsmouth, for her work to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned hedgehogs, and Trudie James, from London, for her years of tireless work rehoming abandoned and mistreated dogs in the UK. Shropshire-based conservationist Stuart Edmunds is honoured for his dedication to researching and promoting protection for the elusive British pine marten.

Ends

For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Clare Sterling at IFAW on mobile 07917 507717 or email csterling@ifaw.org.

Stock photos of award winners are available in advance and photos from the ceremony, which lasts from 12 noon until 2pm, will be available shortly after.

Notes to Editors:

Animal Action Awards are sponsored by the Express newspaper.

If you would like to nominate someone for an Animal Action Award for 2020 please write to: IFAW Animal Action Awards, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7UD.

About IFAW

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org.