In March, we invited you to nominate people who go all out to help pets for Animal Planet's 2009 Hero of the Year. Well, the 10 finalists have been announced, and a whopping SIX of them are affiliated with Petfinder member shelters and rescue groups:
- Jessica Gotthold, founder of the National Foundation for Animal Rescue in Saddle River, NJ
- Louise Hansen, a volunteer for the Sheboygan [WI] County Humane Society and creator of CEO, a "community education and outreach" program
- Jody Harlan, co-founder of the Pets and People Humane Society in Yukon, OK
- Scott Lope, director of operations for Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary for lions, tigers and other big cats in Tampa, FL (which also adopts out a handful of smaller felines)
- Lucy Payne, vice president and founder of the Montgomery County Humane Society in Mount Sterling, KY
- Terri Stonehocker, founder of Stonecliffe Animal Rescue in Lemoore, CA










