Ten-year-old Brady Snakovsky, of Strongsville, was honored as the 2019 ASPCA Kid of the Year at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals annual Humane Awards Luncheon on Nov. 14.
Every year, the ASPCA honors animal heroes who help humans or other animals in extraordinary ways, as well as people who demonstrate great commitment to assisting at-risk animals.
Brady and his mom founded Brady’s K9 Fund after Brady learned Ohio’s K9 officers could not afford potentially life-saving, but expensive, ballistic vests.
Since it was launched, Brady’s K9 Fund has provided vests for 126 K9 officers in multiple states, and his GoFundMe page has brought in nearly $130,000 to advance the mission of protecting all police dogs from gun violence.
The ASPCA also will honor other award recipients, including fashion icon, author and performer Isaac Mizrahi and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush’s official service animal, Sully.
“This year’s ASPCA Humane Award winners cover a wide variety of issues — from dogfighting and kitten advocacy to equine safety and protecting pets from poverty — but what unites them is a deep commitment to protecting vulnerable animals and communities,” says Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA. “We congratulate and commend the winners, and hope their stories inspire compassionate advocacy and action across the country.”
Following a nationwide public call for nominations, an expert ASPCA committee reviewed hundreds of entries and selected winners in seven categories including Kid of the Year, the Equine Welfare Award, Cat Advocate of the Year, Dog of the Year, the Public Service Award, the Henry Bergh Award and the Presidential Service Award.
— Submitted by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.