(BIRMINGHAM, AL) Two Birmingham residents receive awards at the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association's 6th Annual Hall of Fame. The Bowie-Heath Humanitarian Award was presented to Jodie Hobson, Director of Friends of Cats and Dogs Foundation. Dr. T.C. Branch, Oporto Animal Clinic, received the 2009 Hall of Fame Hero Award for his work on the Alabama Spay/Neuter Car Tag.
The Bowie-Heath Humanitarian Award recognizes Alabama residents who have been outstanding in for the best in the human-animal bond where it counts--at the local level. It is named for two distinguished Alabama veterinarians, Dr. W.C. Bowie (Tuskegee University) and Dr. M.K. Heath (Auburn University), veterinarians who have been leaders in Alabama in the area of human-animal relationships. For more about them http://www.tuskegee.edu/Global/story.asp?S=2861403.
Animals inducted into the ALVMA's hall of fame for service to people were: Calico the cat who works at the Alabama School for the Blind, Champ the dog in North Alabama that saved his owners life by detecting her cancer, Zeke the horse who works with youths at the Spirit of Hope Ranch in Wilsonville, Alabama, and Ellie the Hand-In-Paw dog that works at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more about them http://www.alvma.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=341.
Quotes
We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.
