Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare Award – Presented by Disney

The HIT (honesty, integrity, trust) Living Foundation mission is to end pet homelessness by rescuing animals in need, locally and globally, and placing them in loving homes. The organization supports pet owners through education and resources, reduces overpopulation through domestic and international spay/neuter initiatives, responds to natural disasters with multispecies animal rescue efforts, advocates for animal welfare and empowers fellow rescuers through dedicated fundraising and collaboration.

Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) is dedicated to marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response, rehabilitation, research and education. With a small staff and dedicated volunteer team, MMoME provides expert stranding response to around 400 individual seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea turtles annually across 2,500 miles of Maine’s coastline (including islands). MMoME operates a 24/7 stranding reporting hotline as well as a rehabilitation center for sick, injured and abandoned seals, many of which have endured harmful interactions with people. Additionally, MMoME conducts conservation research to learn about marine mammal health, their habitats and human impacts. The organization’s mission also includes extensive education and outreach to Maine’s youth, coastal communities and tourists, promoting marine conservation and inspiring marine stewardship.

The Gentle Barn is a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates farm animals who have suffered from neglect, abuse, trauma and abandonment, giving them a safe, loving home for life. The Gentle Barn sanctuaries provide a healing environment where animals receive top-quality care, veterinary treatment and compassion. Through programs like Cow Hug Therapy®, barnyard visits, educational and therapeutic sessions, the organization connects people with animals to inspire kindness, empathy and hope, and help individuals in need overcome trauma, grief and disconnection. By sharing the animals’ stories, the organization advocates for animal welfare, promotes plant-based living and works to create a world where all beings are treated with love and respect.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) is Canada’s only dedicated marine mammal hospital. Though the organization shares a history and still partners with the Vancouver Aquarium, as of 2023, VAMMR operates as an independent caritable organization. The organization rescues, rehabilitates and releases sick, injured, and orphaned marine mammals. Covering the entire BC coast and responding to hundreds of calls each year, VAMMR primarily cares for seal pups, but also treats sea lions, sea otters, small cetaceans and more. Additionally, VAMMR is the only team in Canada permitted to disentangle sea lions from deadly debris. With a small staff, supported by trained volunteers, VAMMR provides world-class care and contributes to vital research and public education.

WildCare provides veterinary care and rehabilitation to over 9,000 injured, ill and orphaned wild animals throughout Oklahoma each year and is one of the 10 largest centers in the US. The WildCare helpdesk answers up to 150 calls per day, helping to humanely resolve wildlife/human conflicts and provide guidance on wildlife emergencies and domestic animal abandonment. The organization’s wildlife and conservation education efforts reach thousands more daily through a social media following of 157,000, news coverage and more than 100 education events per year. WildCare drives state and national impact through research collaborations with universities and the CDC. Advocacy efforts like leading the Oklahoma Advocacy Coalition further amplify impact, successfully initiating conservation campaigns and policy.