Maryann King-Hasbrouck recognized for protecting animals during disasters
SACRAMENTO, CA (August 5, 2009) – United Animal Nations (UAN) today named Maryann King-Hasbrouck of Levittown, Pennsylvania as the recipient of its annual Heart and Soul Award, presented to an individual who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to UAN’s programs and a strong personal devotion to animals.
  Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) PA State Coordinator Maryann King-Hasbrouck is UAN’s 2008 Heart and Soul Award winner.  |
King-Hasbrouck is the Pennsylvania State Coordinator with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), a volunteer position. Through EARS, UAN provides temporary, emergency sheltering for animals displaced by natural disasters or rescued during criminal seizures.
King-Hasbrouck has been an EARS volunteer since 1998. In 2005, she spent a week volunteering at UAN’s Hurricane Katrina response. But her biggest contribution has been educating the people in her community about the importance of animal disaster preparedness and providing useful resources, such as frequent low-cost microchip events, which help to reunited lost pets with their families.
“Volunteers like Maryann are truly the heart and soul of our efforts to protect animals when disasters strike,” said UAN President and CEO Nicole Forsyth. “Regularly throughout the year she is educating pet owners and local officials about the importance of including animals in emergency planning, which in turn saves lives and expands resources in her own community.”
King-Hasbrouck is also coordinator for the Bucks County Animal Response Team (Bucks CART) and Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team, helping local organizations with their animal disaster plans and leading the county animal response team during local disasters. King-Hasbrouck is a trained veterinary technician and works full time as a registered nurse. She teaches Red Cross pet first aid, volunteers for a local cat rescue group and is a member of the Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Task Force Animal Group.
“I invest a lot of time in animal disaster response because it is vital to our community and the families who live here,” King-Hasbrouck said. “I am honored to be recognized for my efforts by United Animal Nations, an organization that has worked to bring animals out of crisis and into care for more than twenty years.”
Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education.
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