Every year at the ASPCA Humane Awards, the ASPCA honors both people and animal heroes from across the country who have gone above and beyond to bring attention to animal welfare and better the lives of those around them. This year’s honorees, including Grammy-winner Emmylou Harris, Emmy-Award-winner Steven Latham and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) among others, will be celebrated for their outstanding contributions to society at a luncheon in New York City on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

“Our 2024 ASPCA Humane Award honorees are supporting vulnerable animals and elevating critical protections across the country, exemplifying the ASPCA’s vision of a compassionate nation where all animals are treated with respect and kindness,” said Matt Bershadker, President and CEO of the ASPCA. “From working on the frontlines of disasters, to advocating on behalf of animals who are unable to do so for themselves, this year’s Humane Award recipients are heroes, and we are grateful for their service. For more than 150 years, the ASPCA has been at the forefront of animal rescue and protection, and our work is made possible thanks to the combined compassion and dedication of people and animal heroes across the country, especially this year’s honorees.” 

The ASPCA selected winners in five categories, including ASPCA Dog of the Year, ASPCA Cat of the Year, the ASPCA Equine Welfare Award, the ASPCA Presidential Service Award and the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award, which is given to an individual or institution exhibiting exceptional leadership, compassion and commitment to animal welfare, named after the ASPCA’s founder. 

Read more about this year’s winners below:

ASPCA Dog of the Year Award: Harper 

Harper, an adorable black lab mix, was one of 22 dogs confiscated in a hoarding and neglect case and placed with the Humane Society of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The shelter staff quickly contacted Search Dog Foundation (SDF), an organization whose mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by rescuing and recruiting dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. SDF determined that Harper showed great potential for becoming a disaster search dog. 

Harper was formally accepted into SDF’s program in January of 2020, and the decision was made for Harper to be a candidate in the pilot program to train Human Remains Detection (HRD) canines for California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2). CA-TF2 is the West Coast’s only internationally deployable task force comprised of physicians, HAZMAT specialists, rescue specialists and canine search specialists. Harper was one of three HRD canines prepared for CA-TF2, and she graduated on May 28, 2021. SDF paired Harper with firefighter Edward Ruiz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The team trained diligently with their CA-TF2 teammates and achieved FEMA certification in Ohio on July 10, 2022. 

Since that time, Ed and Harper have deployed multiple times, including to Hurricane Ian in Florida and more recently to the deadly wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii. Alongside nearly 40 other canine teams, they searched through ash and debris for those lost in the devastating wildfire that swept through the Lahaina community on August 8, 2023. Ed and Harper stand ready to deploy the next time they are called upon to assist, bringing closure to loved ones and ensuring no one is left behind.

ASPCA Cat of the Year Award: Lola-Pearl 

Lola-Pearl, a 5-year-old dilute tortoiseshell cat, was born with a birth defect that left both her back legs severely twisted. She was taken to Green Hills Animal Shelter in Trenton, Missouri. At only 4 weeks old, the shelter recognized that Lola-Pearl would require extensive, specialized medical treatment to thrive, so they reached out to Animal Lifeline of Iowa, a special needs rescue, and they agreed to take Lola-Pearl into their care. Animal Lifeline provided dedicated care for Lola-Pearl, straightening one of her back legs and amputating the other.

During that time, Juanita Mengel, a cat lover, and an above-the-knee (AK) amputee, had learned about Lola-Pearl and her need for a loving home. Juanita, a volunteer with several rescue groups, transporting, fostering and rescuing cats, is also a retired RN, who volunteers with the national organization Amputee Coalition, visiting new amputees, training and certifying new peer visitors and giving presentations at their annual conferences. Juanita reached out to Animal Lifeline, and once Lola-Pearl had recovered from her amputation at about 6 months old, Juanita flew to Des Moines, Iowa, to officially adopt her and bring her home to her six rescue kitty siblings, most with special needs including two amputee cats. Lola-Pearl soon proved to be a standout cat, showing signs of being a perfect therapy cat like her brother cat BruceE-Sockets, who is also an amputee.

Once Lola-Pearl was old enough, she completed an evaluation through Pet Partners, a national therapy animal organization, and officially became certified as a therapy cat. Since then, Lola-Pearl and Juanita have visited clubs, organizations, companies, hospital staff, colleges, extended care facilities and elementary schools where children are fascinated with her limb loss as well as Juanita’s, providing great teaching moments regarding limb loss and that being different is okay.

Lola-Pearl does everything other cats do; she runs, plays and climbs the cat tree. She is fitted with and gets her prosthetics specially made from the same Prosthetist who makes Juanita’s at American Orthopedics in Columbus, Ohio. Juanita puts Lola-Pearl’s prosthetic leg on her every morning and takes it off her at night just like she does her own. Lola-Pearl and her mom Juanita believe that whether you are a person or an animal you can be limitless in limb loss and along the way can help and encourage others in life.

ASPCA Henry Bergh Award: Emmylou Harris

A 14-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris’ contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2018.

Harris is one of the most admired and influential women in music. She has recorded with such diverse artists as Linda Ronstadt, Daniel Lanois, Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Ryan Adams, Beck, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett and Rodney Crowell. 

A longtime social activist, Harris has lent her voice to many causes, but most passionately to animal welfare. In 2004, she established Bonaparte's Retreat with the goal of rescuing shelter dogs and adopting them into loving homes. To this day, Bonaparte's Retreat continues to save dogs most in need at Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control and at municipal shelters in surrounding counties. Harris is also a board member of Crossroads Campus, a nonprofit that transforms lives by creating opportunities for individuals facing poverty and homelessness to care for homeless dogs and cats.

ASPCA Equine Welfare Award: Steven Latham 

Steven Latham is the Producer and Co-Director of “The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses,” which is also executive produced by Robert Redford, Patti Scialfa Springsteen and Jessica Springsteen. He created and produces the Emmy Award-winning PBS series “Shelter Me,” which celebrates the life-changing relationships between people and animals. The episodes have been hosted by John Legend, Jane Goodall, Kristen Bell, Jon Hamm, Kristin Chenoweth, Hilary Swank, Allison Janney, Edie Falco, Jane Lynch, Wendie Malick, Daymond John, Paula Abdul, Jackson Galaxy and Katherine Heigl. Steven began his production company with a biography series he created with Barbra Streisand, called “The Living Century,” which focused on people who were at least 100 years old. He also produced and directed for the science series, “NOVA,” and made the only film about the TED Conference. Prior to launching his company, he worked at Ketchum Public Relations, Grey Advertising, Paramount Pictures, PolyGram Television and Universal Worldwide Television.

Steven lives in Los Angeles with his two dogs and cat. He grew up with a Chincoteague pony from Virginia and graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications. 

ASPCA Presidential Service Award: NYPD

Established in 1845, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the United States, with approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees, and is responsible for policing an 8.5-million-person city. 

Ten years ago, the ASPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in the country, joined forces with the NYPD to combat animal cruelty and ensure animals are protected under the law. The NYPD formed its Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, a unit dedicated to the investigation of animal-related crimes across the five boroughs while the ASPCA brought on former NYPD executives and assistant district attorneys to provide subject matter expertise and around-the-clock support.

Through this partnership, the NYPD is the primary agency responsible for enforcing animal cruelty laws, while the ASPCA directly cares for animal cruelty victims by providing critical support including forensic evaluations, medical care, behavior assessments, treatment, enrichment, housing and placement, as well as legal and investigative support in criminal cases.

With the expanded enforcement capabilities of the NYPD, the ASPCA has treated record numbers of suspected animal cruelty victims in New York City – a nearly 300 percent increase since the inception of the partnership – while the NYPD has dramatically increased the enforcement of animal crimes in the five boroughs, and the NYC district attorney’s offices have successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases involving abused and neglected animals. Since the partnership’s inception, more than 5,000 animals have been removed from situations of suspected cruelty. Additionally, nearly 30,000 NYPD officers have received specialized training conducted in collaboration with ASPCA experts, equipping them to effectively recognize and respond to suspected animal cruelty cases.

For more information on the 2024 Humane Awards Luncheon and how to support the ASPCA, visit aspca.org/2024hal. Your support will help us continue our work to save, transform and protect countless animals.