Thomas M. Ammons, III Award for Animal Welfare
The Thomas M. Ammons, III Award for Animal Welfare was established in 2017 by the Norfolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The award is named in recognition of Thomas M. Ammons, III for his lifetime contribution to animal welfare, as a volunteer and as a Virginia Beach General District Court Judge. As a Judge, Ammons made national headlines when he sentenced a man to jail for killing a kitten in 1989 which at the time was considered extremely harsh for the killing of an animal.[1] [2]Judge Ammons for years was a board member of the Virginia Beach SPCA, regularly volunteered to help at the shelter, traveled out of state to rescue animals following Hurricane Katrina and became certified in large animal rescue.[3]
The award is given annually in the fall and alternates between regional and national recipients.[4]
Recipients[edit]
2017[edit]
- Debra Griggs – Griggs is a longtime activist and rescuer who has assisted pets for decades in the City of Norfolk, Virginia. She has founded local groups Animal Resources of Tidewater and No Kill Hampton Roads, regularly lobbies in the state legislature on animal welfare issues, and currently serves as President of the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies. [2][5]
- Anna Bowerman, Kathy Ferebee, Linda Nichols, and Beverlee Tiger – These individuals cared for a feral cat colony through a trap-neuter-return program, ensuring that the cats were well-fed, spayed, vaccinated for rabies and looked after on almost a daily basis. The group ultimately found homes for the cats or placed them in a Northern Virginia sanctuary for feral cats. Bowerman formerly served on board of directors of Tidewater Humane Society. Ferebee is a past president of the Norfolk SPCA. Nichols is a regular volunteer of the Norfolk SPCA. Tiger is a board member of the Norfolk SPCA.[2][5]
2018[edit]
- Michelle Welch - Welch is a Senior Assistant Attorney General and the Director of the Animal Law Unit at the Virginia Attorney General's Office. Welch advises and trains law enforcement regionally and internationally--she has advised police and prosecutors in Greece and Belgium and lawyers in Columbia. She has spoken before a United States Congressional Caucus on animal laws, the United Kingdom Parliament on street-level dogfighting, and at the first Animal Crimes Conference in Spain. [6]
- Senator Lynwood Lewis - Lewis is a Virginia Senator for Virginia's 6th District and sits on the Committees of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Local Government, and Education and Health, and is a co-chair of the Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding. He has previously received the Humane Society's Humane Legislator Award in 2018. [4]
References[edit]
- ↑ Norman, Dierdre (December 2017). "Slammin' Ammons's Softer Side: Retired Judge has Always Loved Animals" (PDF). Virginia Lawyer. 66 (December 2017): 20–21. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Barbee, Tom (October 24, 2017). "Norfolk SPCA honors volunteers with award named for retired judge". Virginian Pilot. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Thomas Ammons". Virginia Magazine. University of Virginia. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Thomas M. Ammons, III Award for Animal Welfare". Norfolk SPCA. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grice, Jordan (October 18, 2017). "Norfolk SPCA introduces award named after Virginia Beach judge who sent kitten killer to jail". Southside Daily. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Michelle Welch". Animal Law Conference. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
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