Pet Rock Fest Announces 2018 Hero For The Animals Awards

GRAFTON, MA—Pet Rock Fest recently announced this year's recipients of its annual hero awards. Each year, Pet Rock Fest chooses a minimum of two heroes who have exemplified performing acts of kindness to animals. Past recipients have included those involved in rescue, shelter directors and first responders.

Pet Rock Fest, which is an annual festival that features 100s of animal welfare organizations, live music, vegetarian food, demos and attractions, takes place on Sunday, Sept. 9, from noon to 5 p.m. at Wyman Gordon in North Grafton.

It's your neighbor who spends countless hours volunteering for a local humane society. It's your friend who runs out in the middle of the night to rescue a pup in the street as part of a rescue network. It's the group that runs low-cost medical care opportunities. It's the first responder who strapped an oxygen mask on the kitten that was saved from a fire.

These heroes come in all forms, and they're who change the tides in favor of the animals in this world.
Meet the Pet Rock heroes of 2018, those who have shown exemplary work in animal advocacy.

Jackie White was referred to as "among the most nurturing and warm hearted people I know toward animals," according to daughter Kristen, who nominated her. White holds yard sales once a month, in which all proceeds go to foundations such as the MSPCA and the Odd Cat Sanctuary. This is entirely voluntary and she urges people to drop off unwanted items she can use for the yard sale. Not only that, she volunteers her time with "canning" outside of local businesses to raise money for the those same foundations as well as participating in the annual Horses Helping Horses ride to support the MSPCA.

She has easily raised between $40,000-$45,000 for these causes just by her fundraising efforts, never mind the countless hours put in and spreading the word regarding these animals in need. White has recently undergone surgery, as her horse she rescued fell on top of her, shattering her hip and breaking six ribs. That didn't stop her. That very week after surgery, she was outside with her crutches holding her yard sale.

Outside of her house she is busy fundraising. However, inside her house she continues the rescue. White has 11 cats in her home, 10 of which are hers, and 1 is a foster. All 11 cats have been rescued. At the beginning of this year, she flew to Ohio and back in one day to rescue a terminal cat and give him a few great last days outside of a cage. Again last week, she flew to Orlando and back in one day to adopt a stray who she now calls "Big Red."

"My mother has gone into shelters and adopted all of the elderly, injured, and unwanted cats that normally would stay in a shelter until they are euthanized," continues Kristen. "She has had to unfortunately say goodbye to a lot of the cats she has adopted, as usually they are extremely ill when she takes them in. She always remember each of these cats by cremating them and placing their urns on her 'memory' table. She has opened her home to what she has now called, the Rockinghorse Farm Cat Sanctuary. Her entire heart and soul is dedicated to animals and protecting their safety."

Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis and Jim Vandersluis, owners of Maple Farm Sanctuary in Mendon, are former dairy farmers who transformed their working farm into a sanctuary for rescued farm animals nearly twenty years ago. Previously, Jim had been a third generation dairy cow farmer, while Cheri had worked in several industries involving animals before becoming a dairy goat farmer.

After combining their operations, Cheri and Jim came to the realization that they no longer wanted to be part of an industry that involved the exploitation of animals. In particular, they reached a turning point when they could no longer bear to see baby goats being torn from their mothers and sold for meat so that their mothers’ milk could be sold for human consumption. They made the decision to transform their property into a sanctuary and have rescued and provided lifelong homes for hundreds of abused, abandoned, and neglected farm animals. Today, MFS is home to more than 100 animals and promotes veganism and respect for all life through tours, events, and educational campaigns.

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