Trupanion Supports Service Dogs, American Humane Associaiton Hero Dog Awards

I usually don’t just run press releases – but I am quite pleased about this…Trupanion has walked the walk for service dogs, supporting the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards from day one and also – most important – realizing they may need a ‘break in their coverage.

WASHINGTON, July 5, 2012  — Trupanion, a trusted pet brand and proven industry leader in pet insurance devoted to helping pet owners enjoy the happiest, healthiest and longest lives possible with their remarkable pets, today announced their increased commitment to the nation’s most heroic animals by becoming a sponsor of the Service Dog category in this year’s American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™.  Through an existing Trupanion-AHA partnership, Trupanion customers already know the value of the American Humane Association’s Second Chance Fund™ which helps animals that are the victims of abuse or neglect by providing financial assistance to agencies that rescue, care for, and re-home abused or neglected animals.

The Hero Dog Awards were created by the American Humane Association to celebrate the devoted relationship between dogs and people. Presented by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and broadcast nationwide on Hallmark Channel, the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards are produced by Emmy® award winning MRB Productions.  The annual national competition searches out and recognizes America’s Hero Dogs – often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things, whether it’s saving lives on the battlefield, lending sight or hearing to a human companion, or simply the tail-wagging welcome a pet owner relishes at the end of a hard day.

“The Hero Dog Awards are a powerful way to tell the story of the human-animal bond,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of the 135-year-old American Humane Association. “We salute corporate champions like Trupanion who support the major role that animals play in our lives each and every day.”

“The Service Dogs category brings important attention to the dogs which make such a difference in the lives of people living with diabetes, the aftermath of a stroke, traumatic brain injuries and many other challenges,” said Darryl Rawlings, chief executive officer at Trupanion. “There is a special bond between service dogs and their owners because they serve such an important purpose, providing alerts when their owners have a seizure, pulling wheelchairs up steep inclines, and when needed, retrieving their owner’s cell phones and medication. Trupanion is pleased and proud to be named a distinguished sponsor of the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards’ Service Dogs category.”

Dogs may be nominated in eight categories for the Hero Dog Awards: Law Enforcement & Arson Dogs, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Military Dogs, Guide Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Emerging Hero Dogs (the category for “ordinary” dogs).  Finalists in each of the eight categories will be selected by the public from the pool of contestants, and flown to Hollywood with two of their human friends to the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California on October 6, 2012.  There they will walk the red carpet, attend the show which will be broadcast on Hallmark Channel on November 2, and will be recognized in a video tribute at the black-tie gala where the top winning American Hero Dog will be announced. With more than one million votes and counting so far, the public is encouraged to visit www.herodogawards.org to vote for their favorite dog.

“As pet owners and pet lovers ourselves, we at Trupanion understand this life-long dedication. Service dogs are among the many four-legged family members we insure, and we devote our time and energy to safeguarding the human-pet bond and helping both human and pet lead the longest, happiest, and healthiest life possible,” Rawlings said.