Metro Detroit
TRIUMPHS: A friend of the animals
October 17, 2006
Pam Porteous is a finalist for the Hero of the Year Award.
(AMY TUNNEY)
More nominees
- To read about other nominees for Animal Planet's Hero of
the Year Award, go to
http://animal.discovery.com/ convergence/
hero_of_the_year/ hero.html.
- The winner will be announced in early November. Animal Planet and Fresh Step, the cat litter maker, will donate $10,000 toward the animal welfare organization of the winner's choice, and the winner receives a seven-day, six-night trip for two to Hawaii.
NAME: Pam Porteous
ANIMAL HERO: Porteous, an animal rescuer from West
Bloomfield, is a top 10 finalist for the Hero of the Year Award
that's given by the cable TV network Animal Planet. "I was quite
proud to be nominated. There were thousands of people nominated, so
I was pretty surprised when they called. First I was in the top 20,
now I'm top 10. It makes you feel pretty good. It's just nice that
people think that what we're doing is good." In 1999, the Michigan
Federation of Humane Societies named Porteous the Humanitarian of
the Year.
REAL VICTORY: While winning the Animal Planet contest and its
trip to Hawaii and $10,000 charity donation would be great, it's the
improvements Porteous has seen in animal treatment, the increases in
spaying and neutering, the drop in unwanted litters of kittens and
puppies that really matter to her.
WHAT SHE DOES: For 15 years Porteous has worked with the
Animal Care Network, a grassroots organization made up of teams of
volunteers from the Michigan Animal Adoption Network. Every weekend,
the teams comb neighborhoods in Pontiac and Inkster in search of
neglected or needy animals, mostly forgotten backyard pets. With
panel trucks filled with supplies -- from straw and doghouses to
food, leashes, treats and medicine for infected fly bites -- the
volunteers assist the owners in exchange for a promise that they'll
have their pets sterilized at no or almost no cost. They also
educate pet owners about proper care. The group also separately
hosts low- or no-cost spay and neuter clinics as well as free
vaccination days. Last weekend, 800 dogs and cats were vaccinated at
a free clinic. Porteous, an administrative assistant who was laid
off by General Mills in May, is in charge of the Pontiac operation.
It's a part-time job. She spends the rest of her 80-hour week
volunteering.
SNOW RESCUE: Porteous always cared about animals, as did her
parents, but she didn't start her crusade until 1991 when she and a
group of volunteers from the Michigan Animal Rescue League went out
on a bitter cold day to look for hungry, cold or homeless animals.
They rescued a puppy from a snowbank that day. After that she knew
she had to help. "That was the first puppy I rescued and I never
looked back," she said.
THE NOMINATION: In a letter published on the Animal Planet
Web site, Hanna Gibson, a San Diego law student who was previously
Porteous' assistant, described Porteous. She "adopted the town of
Pontiac, Mich., 15 years ago." She "developed the most innovative
urban community outreach program in America, to ensure that every
animal has a chance to live a healthy and happy life. Hers is a
holistic and highly interactive approach to animal welfare; she
personally visits any home with animals to ensure each family is
taken care of so that the animal will be, too. She has conducted
over 50,589 visits to homes in Pontiac to ensure animals are not
being abused, neglected or fought. ... She has rescued 9,331,
sterilized 3,028 and vaccinated 12,039 animals for low/no cost. Any
and all call her whenever they or an animal needs help."
By Kim North Shine