IFAW recognised 10 people for their efforts to protect animals.

Ten people receive awards for their work with animals

A prestigious awards ceremony is being held at the House of Lords today (16 October), in honour of those whose outstanding work has made a real impact on animal welfare.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) recognised 10 people for their efforts to protect animals, during its annual Animal Action Awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, Ralph the golden retriever received the Animal of the Year award, after having a transformative effect on his owner, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Christine and George Rockingham (72 and 79) received the Lifetime Achievement Award for spending over 24 years rescuing animals through their sanctuary PACT, which now cares for more than 1,400 animals at any one time. Last year, the pair rescued nearly 2,500 animals and responded to 640 emergency call-outs.

Local Conservation Award
Sixty-two year old Michel from London was honoured with an award for installing more than 100 hedgehog holes in garden walls, to allow hedgehogs to move between gardens in search of food. He first began creating these ‘hedgehog highways’ when he discovered that the UK’s hedgehog population fell from over 30 million in the 1950s, to less than one million today.

British Wildlife Award
Debbie Bailey (51) received the wildlife award for her work setting up the UK’s largest badger vaccination programme with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in 2014. She was recently awarded more than £180,000 funding from Defra to expand her project over the next four years. So far her team has vaccinated more than 500 badgers.

People and Animals Award
Michelle Clark (49) set up the not-for-profit organisation Dogs on the Streets (DOTS), which offers weekly sessions in London for homeless people and their pets. Michelle and her team of volunteers offer everything from dog care and treatment for supplying food for dogs and their owners.

International Conservation Award
Nigel and Sarah Hicks (69 and 55) have been volunteering with orang-utans in Borneo since 2009, when large animal vet Nigel sold his share in a veterinary practice. They have since spent at least six months of every year volunteering at rescue and rehabilitation facilities in Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo. They provide veterinary treatment and general care for orphaned and sick orang-utans, which are often severely traumatised by their experiences.

Small Mammal Award
Aircraft engineer Chloe Hennegan (43) set up the rabbit and rehabilitation centre Fat Fluffs 10 years ago. She has now cared for and rehomed more than 1,000 mistreated and abandoned rabbits and helps to educate the local community on caring for rabbits.

Volunteer of the Year Award
Trisha Shaw (50) has raised thousands of pounds for her local dog charity Pawprints. She was the 2016 recipient of the Britain Has Spirit award, receiving £25,000 which she donated to Pawprints. And in 2017, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she shaved her head to help raise over £2,500 for one of the charity’s seriously ill dogs. She has continued to volunteer since her diagnosis.

Animal Advocate Award
Natalia Doran (54) set up Urban Squirrels in 2015, which specialises in taking in abandoned and orphaned baby squirrels for rehabilitation and release. She works tirelessly to change the public’s perception of grey squirrels and campaigns to stop squirrel culling.

Image © IFAW