Placer SPCA 2017 Hero Award Winners

Roseville, Calif. – The Placer SPCA announces its 2017 Hero Award winners, showing us all that “heroes” come in all forms.

The recipients were celebrated at Placer SPCA’s 16th annual Funny Bones Comedy Show & Awards Night, and include Bella the Llama and a prosthetist Michael Carlson, a search and rescue dog Demi, Captain Rex Tucker of the Roseville Fire Department, Kitten Central, and KCRA3.

“The Placer SPCA’s Hero Awards were created to recognize the people and pets of Placer County that demonstrate the power of the human-animal bond,” said Leilani Fratis, Chief Executive Officer of the Placer SPCA. “We know our community is full of every day heroes, and we were pleased to show a small token of our appreciation for their amazing contributions.”

A full description of the award winners and their community contributions are as follows:

Bella the Llama and Michael Carlson, recipients of the Fiddyment Farm Hero Award

After breaking her leg four years ago, Bella was fitted with a prosthetic leg and wasted no time getting back into normal life. Bella is currently a member of the Gold Country Amputee Support Group and is often at work providing emotional comfort to her fellow amputees throughout the region. The Placer SPCA also recognized Michael Carlson, the hero behind Bella’s custom prosthetic leg. Carlson has spent many years creating custom prosthetics for human use, and was presented with a very unique challenge to create the perfect prosthetic limb to allow Bella to return to the no-boundaries lifestyle to which she was accustomed.

Demi, recipient of the Thunder Valley Casino Resort Hero Award

Demi arrived to the Placer SPCA in July 2015. Shortly after she was cleared for adoption, she was evaluated for search and rescue work, and was eventually adopted into the National Disaster Search and Rescue Dog Foundation. Demi graduated from training in January 2017 and immediately joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department search and rescue unit, one of only two units in the nation to be deployed internationally. 

Captain Rex Tucker, recipient of the Guild Mortgage Hero Award

In March 2016, Captain Tucker and his crew were dispatched to a single family home on fire. After conducting a primary search of the residence engulfed in flames, Captain Tucker identified the family dog scared and hiding between a couch and kitchen table. Captain Tucker carried the dog to safety, and after giving the dog a bill of good health, Captain Tucker returned the dog to his family unharmed.

Kitten Central, recipient of The Boys Hero Award

Penny Doughtery spearheads this lifesaving organization to our community’s kitten population. Kitten Central receives abandoned, injured, neglected, premature, and sometimes very sick neonatal kittens, finding them foster homes and bringing them back to health with round-the-clock love and care. 

KCRA3, recipient of the Placer SPCA Hero Award

Last summer, KCRA3 devoted station resources to assist the rescue animal community with clearing the shelters on July 23, 2016 for the second annual #ClearTheShelters Day. By the end of the day, Placer SPCA had adopted 87 animals.

In addition to celebrating local heroes, the 16th Annual Funny Bones Comedy Night and Awards show featured comedy by Clinton Jackson, dinner and drinks, silent and live auctions, and a Grand Prize Drawing sponsored by Folsom Lake Bank. All funds raised at the event go toward the Placer SPCA’s work to facilitate the humane treatment of animals in Placer County and a safer, healthier community overall.