Animal World USA Youth Leadership

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Youth Leadership Award

How to Nominate Youth for Animal World USA Youth Leadership Award

Choose any youth, classroom or group of youth who have shown outstanding qualities in compassionate service and leadership in helping animals. You can be an educator, parent or another young person who nominates the teen or young one(s). Please email to [email protected] or phone 800-806-3039.

Animal World USA Youth Leadership Award

Leadership is central for all communities to prosper and organizations to succeed. Leadership is an important responsibility, upon which all else springs from deep inside. It has been demonstrated through history that leadership skills are best taught early in a child's life.

This is why it is important that we honor these young ones who are leading the way into the future where we will treat all living beings with true understanding, respect, care and compassion.

The Animal World USA-International Youth Leadership award is a unique opportunity for you to help honor extraordinary young people who have demonstrated compassion, character and leadership in helping animals and building a stronger community.

Leadership

*compassion *character *teamwork *unity *trust *confidence *vision *responsibility

Congratulations

Annie Blumenfeld of Connecticut!

Lucy is a 15 year old animal lover from Kentucky who has shown true compassion for the horses.

It all started on Derby Day 2008, when Lucy won $15.00 on the fillie, Eight Belles, who would lose her life because she fell down at the end of the race and broke her front legs. She sadly had to be put down right after the race. Eight Belles came in second place, and Lucy won that $15.00. However on the way home that night, Lucy said she wouldn't feel good at all about spending her winnings knowing that they had come at the expense of the horse's life, and she decided at that moment in her life that she wanted to donate her winnings to an animal welfare organization...thus changing her life and the animals' lives forever.

That night, she spent time on the internet searching for an organization to send her money to, and she found an article about Old Friends Equine Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. The article described how they are a safe haven for retired thoroughbreds who no longer win races and are not "useful" any more. These rescued horses would have been sent to slaughterhouses simply because they are no longer money makers. To Lucy, this fate that many of the horses were suffering was unspeakable, and she knew had to help.

Lucy decided right then that Old Friends needed help and she sent Michael an email telling him that she had $15.00 for him. Michael Blowen, founder of Old Friends, takes in as many of these retired athletes as he can and he relies strictly on donations to maintain his farm. Since then, Lucy has started what she calls her "Old Friends Fund." She just finished her second raffle which was a success, and a lot of businesses generously donated gift cards. She soon will be attending the world-famous Rock Creek Horse show for the fifth year in a row, working to build awareness and donations.

Lucy's motto is: " It doesn't matter if you have two legs or four, you should be able to live out your life in peace, dignity, and happiness. "

Lucy shows great empathy for these wonderful creatures. She realizes how important it is to do what we can to help them and what an expensive endeavor it is to feed and house these animals. It has become such an important part of her life, that she is now recognized in the community for her work to help Old Friends Farm. Visit Old Friends Farm website at http://www.oldfriendsequine.org/

Lucy Duane of Kentucky

Last March our family rescued a special two-year shaggy dog from

a high kill shelter in Houston, Texas. Our dog Teddy had heartworm disease and was luckily nursed back to health. It is such a long painful process for dogs to recover from but well worth it!

Teddy was given two injections and had to remain in a crate and be inactive. It broke Annie's heart to see that her loving companion, who bought such happiness and joy to our family, had to endure great pain. She later discovered that heartworm disease is found in all fifty (50) states.

Many dogs are not given heartworm protection and these innocent

animals are vulnerable for pulmonary lung, heart disease, and even

death. She thought it is incredible to think that this condition can

be avoided by giving your pet one pill each month.

In an effort to raise heartworm awareness, Annie created a non-profit organization called Wags 4 Hope. It is here where she combines her passion for animals with her love of painting. All the money raised through her paintings is given to several dog shelters to help pay for their medical needs until they find their forever homes.

Teddy is such an incredible dog, and he made her aware of all of the other innocent animals who are at high risk.

To learn more, please visit Annie's website

www.wags4hope.org and you will see Teddy on the upper right hand corner. Annie and Teddy will be on News 12 CT April 4th to help spread hearworm awareness in light of April being National Heartworm Awareness Month.

Pls see Annie & Teddy on TV!!

http://connecticut.news12.com/features/pet-talk-1.4274246

See the depth of Annie's dedication:

**Donated and sold 30 of her BEAUTIFUL paintings at "Paws in the Park's" 50th anniversary to benefit the PAWS shelter in Norwalk, CT on October 6.

**Named the PAWS Youth Ambassador .

**Honored to have 1800 PetMeds as a supporter of my organization

**Held a bake sale at Pet Outlet in Bridgeport, CT to help raise money for Koda, a Westport, CT police dog's bulletproof vest in October.

**Spreading awareness to many Universities by sending flyers about heartworm disease to educate students and faculty.

**Some of my paintings will be auctioned at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury, CT at the "Making a Difference Ball"on March 9th and all the money raised will be going to the Danbury Animal Welfare Society

**Annie will be on News 12 CT on Pet Talk on March 31st in light of April being National Heartworm Awareness month talking about my mission

Congratulations Annie on your life-saving work, inspiring others and on your Animal World USA Youth Leadership award!