A therapy donkey, a lifechanging Labrador and a heroic teen who saved a dog from a burning home were among those recognised at RSPCA WA's Animal Welfare Awards today.
The annual awards, held on World Animal Day, celebrate individuals and groups improving the lives of animals across WA. Plus, there is a category just for animal friends, with a horse, a donkey, a three-legged lamb and seven dogs all recognised this year.
Animal loving venue The Camfield offered their venue for this year's ceremony, which saw 43 gold, silver and bronze awards handed out in front of friends, family and special guests including Governor of Western Australia, the Hon Chris Dawson APM, Minister for Agriculture Alannah MacTiernan, and West Coast Eagle champion and RSPCA WA ambassador, Elliot Yeo.
RSPCA WA Chair Lynne Bradshaw said RSPCA WA was thrilled to announce the winners for 2022 and celebrate their achievements.
'Today's ceremony was extremely moving and uplifting,' she said.
'Often RSPCA WA deals with heartbreaking cases. Having so many animal lovers in one place today and hearing how they've put their heart and soul into making a real difference to the welfare of so many animals is really special.
'We know that helping animals across our vast State requires a huge collective effort, and today we celebrated winners from as far north as Broome and as far south as Albany.'
In addition, Mrs Bradshaw said the four-legged award winners showcased the incredible bond and loyalty that can develop between human and animals.
'When we think of the human-animal bond, it's usually dogs that first come to mind,' she said.
'The gorgeous dogs we've awarded are certainly a great demonstration of that bond. But it's fantastic to also have the chance to showcase our horse, donkey, and lamb winners. Their stories prove all sorts of animals have that power to positively impact our lives and mental health.
'I hope the award winners and their stories will encourage West Australians to treat all animals with kindness and respect and to get more involved by raising animal welfare in their local community.'
Mrs Bradshaw thanked generous sponsors Tinkerbelle the cat, Tunnel Vision, and Huskimo for making the Animal Welfare Awards possible.
