Monday, August 2, 2010

If you didn’t get to attend The HSUS’ 24th annual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills, or see the one-hour show broadcast on Animal Planet, you can still watch highlights of the event this weekend in the comfort of your own living room. The syndicated TV show “Animal Rescue” with Alex Paen, which airs in more than 200 media markets, will feature the Genesis highlights this weekend, August 7th and 8th. Check here to find your local station.

It’s the animals’ answer to the Academy Awards, and a star-studded event with Emily Deschanel, Jon Lovitz, Kristen Bell, Teri Hatcher, Robert Davi, Keely and Pierce Brosnan, and other celebrity presenters helping to honor people in the news and entertainment media who use their talents to advance animal protection issues. Other stars for animals at the packed gala included Los Angeles firefighter Joe St. Georges who rescued Lucky from the L.A. river during the floods, Major Brian Dennis who rescued Nubs from Iraq after the dog was maimed by insurgents, and lawmakers who are fighting for animal protection polices, including State Senator Dean Florez, State Assemblyman Pedro Nava, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz.

We see so much animal abuse in our work, and the worst of the human spirit when we confront “crush” videos, dogfighting, puppy mills, and other large-scale cruelties. With The Genesis Awards, we get to see the best of the human spirit, and we celebrate the victories for animals and the people who are making them happen. I hope you’ll tune into “Animal Rescue” this weekend, for a special event that will be uplifting and motivating for any animal lover. And here’s a video from the 24th Genesis Awards so you’ll know what to expect.

P.S. To keep up with the stars who are working for animal protection, check out the new Celebrities Who Support The HSUS fan page on Facebook.