Mike Arms/Iams Hero Award Goes to Austin Humane Society

Frances Jonon with Euka, VP of Canine
Communications at P&G Pet Care

Yesterday, our pals at Iams kicked off the 2011 Iams Home 4 the Holidays program at their Pet Care office's in Ohio in a big way! Mike Arms, president of Helen Woodward Animal Center and Founder of the Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption program, was on hand to present the first annual Mike Arms/Iams Hero Award. And the winner is ...

                  (drum roll please >>>>>>>>>>>)

... the Austin Humane Society for its extraordinary relief effort in the Austin/Bastrop wildfires in September, 2011.  Austin Humane Society took the lead in coordinating the disaster relief efforts for the animals displaced in the Austin/Bastrop counties as a result of the recent Texas wildfires. This widespread disaster destroyed over 1,400 homes in the Central Texas area.

The Austin Humane Society helped create a temporary triage unit in the Austin and Bastrop areas providing food, refuge, and medical care for the displaced animals. 

Accepting the award on behalf of Austin Humane was Frances Jonon, Executive Director. The shelter will be receiving a plaque for their wall and a check for $5,000 from Iams.

From left to right, Mike Arms, President, Helen Woodward

Animal Center; Frances Jonon, Executive Director, Austin Humane

Society; Michel Brousset, Marketing Director, Iams North America

Iams gives out the Mike Arms/Iams Hero Award to a person or animal organization that exemplifies the commitment and passion for the lives of orphaned animals similar to what Mike Arms has been doing for so many years.

For the past 12 years, Iams has joined forces with Mike Arms and the Helen Woodward Animal Center for the annual adoption campaign to help raise awareness of orphaned animals in shelters and rescues around the world. The program has created new ways to increase public awareness about orphaned animals, increase the number of pet adoptions, lower euthanasia rates, and set records for the number of people that are receiving humane education.

Animal shelters and pet rescue groups can still register for the 13th annual IH4TH campaign.