Michelson Found Animals 4th Annual Gala

LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwired – Oct 13, 2015) – Michelson Found Animals (www.FoundAnimals.org), an animal welfare organization that works to end pet homelessness, hosted its 4th annual gala last weekend, where it honored outstanding leaders in the animal welfare community. Held this year at SLS Hotel in Los Angeles, Found Animals recognized notable animal welfare advocates: California Assemblyman Marc Steinorth; Hope for Paws founder, Eldad Hagar; Tito’s Handmade Vodka for its Vodka for Dog People initiative; and surprise honoree, Kim Sill, animal activist, actress and producer of documentary, Saved In America.

“Our underlying mission at Found Animals is to save pets and enrich lives, and that’s what we have in common with each of this year’s esteemed honorees,” said Aimee Gilbreath, (Former) Executive Director at Found Animals. “There are many wonderful organizations that do great things for animals, but we chose our honorees specifically because they are focused on finding innovative solutions, and personally put the hard work in every day to improve the lives of pets.”

More about this year’s Found Animals’ honorees:

• California Assemblyman Marc Steinorth: Marc Steinorth was elected to the California State Legislature in 2014 to represent the 40th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Highland, Loma Linda, and Redlands. A lifelong animal lover, Mr. Steinorth has brought attention to the plight of homeless pets by highlighting the importance of adoption. He has also personally sponsored the adoption of hundreds of shelter pets across several shelters in his district.
• Hope for Paws founder, Eldad Hagar: Eldad Hagar has personally saved thousands of pets through his foster and rescue efforts, and with over 100 million YouTube views, his viral rescue videos have brought global awareness to the plight of abused and neglected animals, and inspired millions around the world to donate to rescue, rehabilitation, and Spay / Neuter programs for needy pets.
• Tito’s Handmade Vodka: Tito’s Handmade Vodka is a globally recognized brand produced in Austin at Texas’ oldest distillery. Tito’s launched Vodka for Dog People to donate proceeds from its site to Emancipet, an animal welfare organization that makes Spay / Neuter services and preventive veterinary care affordable and accessible to all pet owners.
• Kim Sill: A passionate animal activist, actress and producer, Ms. Sill spent years investigating pet stores that sell puppy mill dogs, and brought inhumane conditions in these mills to public light. She helped convert several of these stores to humane pet stores, a model on which she later founded Shelter Hope Pet Shops, which showcases shelter pets for adoption. Her documentary, Saved in America, is an expose’ on the US pet industry, and chronicles her experiences working in the trenches of animal welfare.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to tonight’s honorees for all they have done, and continue to do to help save animals,” said Found Animals’ founder, Dr. Gary Michelson. “We want to especially recognize that each of our honorees have made tremendous sacrifices of their time, their resources, and often their personal wellbeing in order to go above and beyond to protect, support and rescue innocent animals.”

About the Michelson Found Animals Foundation

Michelson Found Animals is an independently funded nonprofit that works to achieve one goal: find the big ideas that will help reduce the number of homeless pets. Led by business, animal welfare and medical professionals, we develop innovative solutions that address the underlying causes of pet homelessness, bringing pets and people together.  By offering a wealth of educational resources to pet owners and animal care professionals, Michelson Found Animals advances the health and safety of animals everywhere. Michelson Found Animals was founded by Dr. Gary Michelson and Alya Michelson. Follow our progress online at www.FoundAnimals.org, or via social media at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.