Awards honor heroic pets and people

Oregon Humane Society’s Diamond Collar Awards celebrated pets and people for acts of compassion and selflessness that made the community a better place in February. Award winners included:  

*Zipporah, a crisis intervention dog who served after the Oso, Washington landslide, and the Umpqua Community College shooting.  

*Kelly Peterson, director of Fences for Fido, which builds fences to unchain dogs — some who have lived tethered for years. FFF also provides dog houses and spay/neuter services. FFF has unchained 1,300 dogs since 2009. 

*Raider, a rare certified therapy cat, trained to alert diabetics when blood sugar reaches unhealthy levels.  

*Philanthropist Howard Hedinger received the OHS Lifetime Achievement for his enduring support of animals and children. Hedinger has been a leader in business and philanthropy for nearly 50 years. 

More details and photos at OregonHumane.org.