The Marin Humane Society

2007 Award Winners

2007 Special Humanitarian Award

A message to the Marin Humane Society from
Jane Goodall (watch video)!

The Marin Humane Society is proud to honor Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, United Messenger of Peace, with a Special Humanitarian Award. Dr. Goodall is best known for her study of chimpanzee social and family life in the African forests of Tanzania beginning in 1960. In 1977, Dr. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to provide ongoing support for field research on chimpanzees. Today, JGI is widely recognized for innovative, community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and a global youth program, Roots & Shoots, which is currently active in nearly 100 countries. Today, Dr. Goodall devotes much of her time to sharing her message of hope for the future and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world. Accepting the award on Dr. Goodall’s behalf will be Bill Johnston, CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute.

2007 Marin County District Attorney's Office Special Award

The Marin County District Attorney’s Office is a national model for upholding animal protection laws. The DA’s Office was one of the first prosecuting teams in the country to understand the significance of crimes against animals, and recognize the link between human violence and animal cruelty. Last year, they successfully prosecuted a serious offender who strangled a cat, resulting in a maximum prison sentence. Upon further investigation, the case revealed a serious and repeated domestic violence offender. The DA’s Office also filed felony cruelty neglect charges in several other cases over the past year. In Marin County, thanks to the compassion and tenacity of the District Attorney’s Office, animal victims and their guardians do not suffer in vain.

2007 Humane Student of the Year

The 2007 Helena & Anthony Franklin Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Youth was awarded to Marisa Mirviss of Novato. For the past four years, Marisa volunteered in the Humane Society’s Education, Animal Care and Behavior and Training Departments, and was also a senior member of the MHS Roots & Shoots program. On her own initiative, Marisa traveled to the Madera County animal shelter with the MHS Pet Partnership team to film the very difficult and emotional task of selecting animals to bring back to Marin. She plans to use the film as a recruitment tool for potential Pet Partnership volunteers. Marisa was instrumental in raising more than $400 for MHS shelter animals through her high school fundraising group. Now a first year student at Reed College in Oregon, Marisa continues her dedication to animal welfare by volunteering at the local Humane Society there.

2007 Humane Teacher of the Year

Carol Burns is the 2007 Madelon Tormanen Humane Teacher of the Year. Carol works at Glenwood Elementary School in San Rafael where, along with the 3 R’s, she teaches her third grade students about compassion and responsibility by participating in the MHS classroom foster program. Last school year, eight very lucky small companion animals, including mice, guinea pigs and rabbits, had the opportunity to spend time in Carol’s classroom before going up for adoption. Carol’s students created art and writing projects about each of their foster animals, and also posted videos of each foster animal on the class Web site. This is Carol’s final school year teaching at Glenwood Elementary — she will retire in June.