Section Members,
The Animal Law Section Council is pleased to announce the following awards:
The Brandi Award to Katie Branigan Hawkins, an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for her work in forming an Animal Anticruelty Task Force; and for prosecuting cruelty and neglect cases arising from Jackson County Animal Control, empowering the shelter to pursue charges. Her contributions have been vital to the shelter, which has no animal control officers. The Brandi Award comes with the ability to designate a $250 honorarium to a Michigan nonprofit organization. Branigan Hawkins has chosen the Friends of the Animals for the Jackson Area, Inc. to receive the honorarium. The ceremony will be from 4-6 p.m. on March 29 at the Jackson Fraternal Order of Police Lodge.
The Sadie Award to Stiggy’s Dogs, a nonprofit organization that rescues and trains shelter dogs to be psychiatric service dogs for military veterans living with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The psychiatric service dogs are trained and deployed at no cost to the veteran. The award will be presented on April 17, from 3-5 p.m. at the organization's facility in Hamburg Township. Participants will tour the grounds and meet some of the dogs and veterans.
For additional information about the awards, please read the press release.