ANIMALTARIAN Winner

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  The Animal Pad is a non-profit, all-breed dog rescue that focuses on saving dogs from high-kill shelters and the streets of Mexico.

shelters. 

  Frosted Faces is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers the promise of family and quality veterinary care for senior animals whose love and lives are in jeopardy.

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Bobbi Brink is the founder, director and vice president of Lions Tigers & Bears. Situated on 142 acres outside of Alpine, California, on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest, Lions Tigers & Bears is an animal sanctuary for rescued big cats, bears, and other exotic animals.

San Diego’s first natural pet food store was opened in 1996in Del Mar. Over 25 years later health food for dogs and cats is bigger than ever!

The Paws Family is comprised of compassionate veterinarians who strive to care for and support pets and their parents throughout the end-of-life process. They believe that in a pet’s final moments, they should be home, in the arms of their family.

SUP Pups' purpose is to teach you and your dog a new activity/hobby that you can do together, outside, where you can build trust, confidence, and reliance on one another.

  Fuzz has been in her owner's life for almost 10 years and has been her service dog for almost all of that time. Fuzz has been by her human’s side through some of the darkest hours. Including major grief, medical episodes, doctor’s appointments, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent cares, police stations, therapist offices, and much more.

Fuzz has also made an impact on more people than me. While her main purpose is being a service dog, she is also trained in many different tricks that bring a smile to many people's faces. Fuzz helped multiple people I know find their love for dogs and helped educate many people on service dogs and their purpose. She has also helped many people through hard times in their lives and brought smiles and happiness to kids at school. 

They call her "Amazing Grace" and together with her partner “Kaia,” they serve with Love on a Leash, a nonprofit organization that provides volunteer pet therapy teams. For years, this partnership has been providing therapy to children testifying against their abusers, with Kaia laying her head down on the victim’s lap during very overwhelming situations in San Diego family courtrooms. These two also visit hospice centers, Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and even incarcerated people condemned to live the rest of their lives in prison, many in solitary confinement. As Grace’s owner said “THERAPY DOGS visits bring KINDNESS, COMPASSION, and LOVE to those in need. No human being should ever suffer ALONE. It has been a true privilege to meet so many incredible Wounded Warrior Veterans, Alzheimer’s elderly, special needs children, prisoners, dying hospice patients, and others less fortunate.” When therapy dogs enter a room and cuddle up to someone who desperately needs to feel hope, the results are powerful. Their handlers have committed to “NEVER FORGET THE FORGOTTEN!” It is their life’s meaning.

Orbit is the service dog for Lorilei Lebruska, who served as an Army translator/voice interceptor. While deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Storm, Lorilei was exposed to Sarin nerve gas, which damaged her nervous system, leaving more than 30 lesions in her brain and spinal cord. Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines matched Orbit and Lorilei in 2018. Orbit provides assistive tasks to mitigate PTSD symptoms and calm Lorilei's injured nervous system. Overexposure to stimuliover whelms Lorilei’s nervous system, causing disorientation, slurred

speech (or not being able to speak), muscle weakness, vertigo, and cognitive impairment.

Before she met Orbit, Lorilei was constantly planning her permanent departure—and suffered in a deep well of mental and physical anguish. In short, Orbit saved Lorilei's life – and he has healed MANY lives. When Orbit was trained by men incarcerated at at RJD in San Diego, they were profoundly changed by the experience. He also brought smiles to the prison’s volunteers on weekends during his two years in training. After Lorilei's mood and symptoms improved, and she felt pulled to share the joy and healing energy of this amazing service dog. They started visiting local fire departments together to offer emotional support to the staff.