Four intuitive pets inducted into the 2012 Purina Animal Hall of Fame™
TORONTO, May 7, 2012 /CNW/ - Fearless, devoted, and intuitive - words
typically associated with heroic figures can also be used to describe
the 2012 Purina Animal Hall of Fame Inductees - Nanook, Monty, Bree and
Titan. Honoured this morning at PawsWay Pet Education Centre in
Toronto, the permanent home of the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, these
extraordinary animals have gone above and beyond to protect the lives
of those around them, proving just how powerful the bond between
animals and humans can be.
"Each year, we honour pet heroes and their life-saving acts. Our 2012
Inductees struck us not only by the intuitive sixth sense related to
life-threatening medical conditions, but also their incredible
persistence to act on that intuition," said Mary Siemiesz, Executive
Director of the Purina PetCare Legacy. "The Purina Animal Hall of Fame
is at the heart of who we are as a company and we are incredibly
privileged to celebrate these extraordinary heroes."
Animals are gifted with an extraordinary sense of sight, smell, sound
and touch. They also seem to have a sixth sense, or intuition, that
allows them to pick up on illness and medical emergencies earlier than
humans are capable of detecting. While researchers are at odds about
this sixth sense, many argue that the stronger the bond between pet and
owner, the more apt they are to notice changes in their smell,
mannerisms and appearance. The 2012 Purina Animal Hall of Fame
Inductees have shown this intuitive sense, ultimately preventing four
horrible tragedies.
As one of the longest running pet recognition programs in Canada, the
Purina Animal Hall of Fame has recognized the life-saving heroics of
pets and service animals for more than four decades. Since its
inception in 1968, 155 animals have been inducted - 128 dogs, 26 cats
and one horse. Canadians across the country can visit www.purinahalloffame.ca to read past honoured stories, and learn how to nominate a heroic pet
or service animal.
The 2012 honourees were carefully selected from numerous nominations
based on their intelligence, loyalty and intuition. "This year's
inductees prove that big heroics can often come in the smallest
packages," said Siemiesz. "They remind us of the important roles that
animals play in our lives, and how far they will go to protect the
people around them."
"I was unaware that I had severe sleep apnea, but Bree sensed something
was wrong with me immediately. Without her persistence to wake me from
sleep apnea episodes, especially the severe episode last September, I
wouldn't be here today," said Michele Gilks, owner of the two-year-old
Dachshund from Blissfield, New Brunswick, and 2012 Inductee. "She is my
personal hero, and we're so thrilled that Bree is being recognized for
her heroic efforts by the Purina Animal Hall of Fame."
The 2012 Purina Animal Hall of Fame Inductees:
Nanook (St. Catharines, ON)
Early one morning last May, at around 3 a.m., Nanook, a Siberian Husky
cross began causing a commotion to wake her owner Coleen Kilby and her
husband, Gord. Nanook was circling their bed, howling, licking her
owners' faces and barking loudly, which was very uncharacteristic of
Nanook. When the sleeping pair woke, they couldn't understand what was
prompting Nanook's erratic behaviour. Coleen suddenly began feeling
pressure in her chest as well as a gnawing pain in her arm and realized
she was having a heart attack. Her husband called the paramedics and
Coleen was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. By 11 a.m.
that morning, Coleen had undergone surgery to insert three stents in
her heart. If it wasn't for Nanook's keen intuition and persistence
that night, Coleen would have had the heart attack in her sleep and
would not be here today.
Monty (Camrose, AB)
In the middle of the night last March, Patricia Peter's lovable, ginger
tabby cat Monty woke her up by repeatedly biting the fingers of her
left hand - the only hand she uses to test her blood sugar levels to
monitor her newly-diagnosed diabetes. Although this was unusual
behaviour for Monty, Patricia tried to ignore it and "shoo" him away so
she could go back to sleep. When he persisted, Patricia sat up to push
him to the foot of the bed and suddenly felt incredibly dizzy. She got
up to go to the washroom and felt weak in the legs, couldn't focus and
felt sick to her stomach. With Monty meowing and rubbing up against her
leg, Patricia slowly made her way to the kitchen to check her blood
sugar. As she got closer, Monty intuitively ran ahead and sat beside
her diabetic testing kit. Sure enough, after testing her blood,
Patricia discovered her blood sugar was down to a low of 2.7. Even
after she treated the low blood sugar with sugar tablets, Monty was
persistent in keeping her awake until she retested at normal sugar
levels 15 minutes later. Patricia later told this story to her doctor
who insisted that if Monty hadn't woken her up and prompted her to test
and treat her low blood sugar levels, she would have fallen into a
diabetic coma or had a diabetic seizure. Patricia always thought Monty
was a smart cat, but she now also sees him as her lifesaver, "little
hero" and guardian angel.
Bree (Blissfield, NB)
Last September, three days before owner Michele Gilks' 50th birthday,
Bree, her two-year-old Dachshund, tried to wake Michele up in the
middle of the night by putting her snout in Michele's mouth, licking
her face and frantically digging next to her. When Michele finally
awoke, she felt an overwhelming "drowning" feeling and began gasping
desperately for air. Bree's antics also woke Michele's husband who
called an ambulance at once. When the paramedics arrived, Michele was
put on oxygen and rushed to the hospital due to her dangerously high
blood pressure. At the emergency room, Michele was diagnosed with a
severe case of sleep apnea - a potentially life-threatening condition
that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. This wasn't the
first time Bree had woken Michele up from sleep in the middle of the
night and now she understood why: Bree was helping Michele breathe
whenever she stopped. If Bree hadn't been watching over Michele that
night, she would have died in her sleep from lack of oxygen. Today,
Michele is receiving treatment for her sleep apnea and Bree no longer
wakes her during the night. Michele feels like she's been given another
chance at life and she's eternally grateful to Bree for that gift.
Service Dog of the Year: Titan (Oakville, ON)
One stormy evening last October, Police Service Dog Titan and his
partner Constable Tara McLorn set out during severe weather conditions
to locate a despondent and desperate woman who fled into a wooded area
after attempting to overdose on medication. She had taken a large dose
of pain medication, called 9-1-1 and told the operator that this would
be her last night alive. Although her initial call for help allowed the
team to narrow her whereabouts using cell phone triangulation
technology, it was Titan's fearless dedication and intuition which led
the unit to her location, ultimately saving her life. Defying
hurricane-like winds, torrential rain and a race against the clock,
Titan directed the team through the forest to the woman just as the
drugs she had consumed were taking hold. The team remained with the
woman until paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital where she
was treated for hypothermia and a dangerous drug overdose. There is no
doubt from his police team that Titan is a hero. At a time when every
second counted, Titan helped his team defy the odds, rescue the missing
woman and save her life.
Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada is a leading pet care company and global manufacturer of quality
and nutritious pet food brands such as Pro Plan, Purina One, Dog Chow®,
Alpo, Beneful, Beggin' Strips, Busy Bone, Cat Chow, Friskies,
FancyFeast, Luv, and cat litter brands Maxx and Kitty Litter. Our
promise, "Your Pet, Our Passion", and the creation of PawsWay Pet Education Centre, the permanent home of the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, reflects our commitment to pets and promoting responsible pet care.
Purina is the proud sponsor of The Purina National and the Lions Foundation of Canada Purina Walk For Dog Guides. For more information about Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada please visit www.purina.ca.
For more information about the Purina Animal Hall of Fame please visit
www.purinahalloffame.ca. To watch videos of this year's inductee
stories, visit www.youtube.com/PurinaAHOF.
B-roll will be available twice via satellite:
Monday, May 7, 2012 at 15:15 - 15:45 firm, Eastern, and again Tuesday,
May 8, 2012 at 10:00 - 10:30 firm, Eastern
Anik F2, Transponder Z03, D/L Freq. 3820 MHz. Audio subcarriers 6.8
left, 6.2 right
For assistance with the feed call: 1-877-442-4417
SOURCE Purina Animal Hall of Fame
Image with caption: "Titan, a police service dog from the Halton Region, was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame today. After Titan and his unit received a distress call from a woman who attempted to end her life before disappearing into a heavily wooded area, Titan overcame hurricane-like elements to find her before it was too late. (CNW Group/Purina Animal Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120507_C4919_PHOTO_EN_13214.jpg
Image with caption: "Titan, a police service dog from the Halton Region, was inducted today into the 44th annual Purina Animal Hall of Fame at PawsWay Pet Education Centre in Toronto. Titan overcame hurricane-like conditions and saved a woman who had attempted to end her life before disappearing into a heavily wooded area. (CNW Group/Nestlé Purina PetCare) (CNW Group/Purina Animal Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120507_C4919_PHOTO_EN_13226.jpg
Image with caption: "Bree, a two-year-old Dachshund from Blissfield, NB, was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame today. Owner Michele Gilks suffered from undiagnosed sleep apnea, and stopped breathing in her sleep. Bree's persistence woke her up and ensured she received medical attention and ongoing treatment for her disorder. (CNW Group/Purina Animal Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120507_C4919_PHOTO_EN_13211.jpg
Image with caption: "Monty, a lovable ginger tabby cat from Camrose, Alberta was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame today. Monty's persistence alerted recently-diagnosed diabetic Patricia Peter to dangerously low blood sugar levels, preventing the onset of a diabetic coma. (CNW Group/Purina Animal Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120507_C4919_PHOTO_EN_13212.jpg
Image with caption: "Nanook, a two year old Siberian Husky Cross from St. Catharines, Ontario was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame today for saving the life of Coleen Kilby. Nanook's relentless and uncharacteristic barking woke Coleen and her husband in the middle of the night, after Nanook sensed that Coleen was suffering from a severe heart attack. (CNW Group/Purina Animal Hall of Fame)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120507_C4919_PHOTO_EN_13213.jpg
