Purina Animal Hall of Fame 2016 – Celebrating Canada’s Animal Heroes

Animal Heroes the Purina Animal Hall of Fame 2016 Inductee Ceremony

Four fearless dogs inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame

Toronto, ON (May 3, 2016) – There is no question; the companionship and unconditional love pets give to people can be life-changing. But in some cases, pets actually have the ability to be life-saving.

This morning, Purina honoured extraordinary acts of animal heroism at the 48^th Annual Purina Animal Hall of Fame, hosted at Purina PawsWay, its permanent home. This year’s inductees, comprised of four devoted and persistent pooches and one service dog, were recognized for the actions they took to save a human life. The incredible stories honoured today proved that animals will do what they absolutely have to – including acting out of character and even putting their own lives at risk – in order to protect the people they care about most.

 

“Each year we receive and uncover countless stories of remarkable acts of animals saving human lives,” said Melissa Eckersley, Purina Animal Hall of Fame ambassador. “We feel very privileged to honour these extraordinary animals and share their stories with all Canadians.”

Since its inception in 1968, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has honoured pets and service animals for their remarkable feats of bravery, from alerting humans to life-threatening medical emergencies, to saving them from extremely perilous conditions. In the last 48 years, 172 animals have been inducted, including 144 dogs, 27 cats – and even a horse. The 2016 inductees have joined these ranks. Through their profound perception and courage, this year’s inductees have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their humans.

“There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that dogs have the capacity to sense things we simply can’t,” said Matthew Church, Zola’s owner. “What Zola was able to sense the night of my heart attack from two floors below, we may never know. But she now very deservedly wears a brass tag engraved with the words; I saved my human’s life.”

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