Adopt a Pet from the Humane Society of Greater Miami

The Zeus Angel Award

Zeus' Story
by Kelly Grimm

On June 6, 2005 the Miami-Dade community lost a great humanitarian. Zeus (affectionately referred to as Big Daddy Zeus) was the Humane Society of Greater Miami's official Humane Ambassador and my co-worker for over five years. He worked tirelessly as a humane educator and pet therapist, touching the lives of literally thousands of Miami-Dade students and the many residents of Greynolds Park Nursing Home.

A gentle giant, possibly a wolf hound/collie mix, handsome Zeus was all black except for a bright white tuft of hair in the exact shape of an angel on his chest. This angel was no coincidence.

Over the years Zeus became "the face" of the Humane Society of Greater Miami. Proudly wearing his red HSGM vest to events, fundraisers, and high-level meetings in which we often times believed it was Zeus' charm that committed the support of many important donors and sponsors. Zeus became so recognizable throughout the community that in 2001 his image was painted two stories tall on the west side of HSGM's 95th Street adoption center.

Most importantly, Zeus was the embodiment of the Humane Society of Greater Miami's mission. He was a symbol of the dog that staff and volunteers were always fighting for - the old and nervous giant mutt who without us would most likely never have had a second chance at life - and teaching us, once adopted, that it was he who gave us life.

During his lifetime he achieved more than most humans. In 1999 he was the first dog to ever receive the Miami-Dade County Public Schools "Humana"tarian Award and in 2000 he was inducted into the Florida Animal Hall of Fame. But his greatest achievements were opening the hearts of young, at-risk students in inner-city Miami with a kind nuzzle and "paw shake" and assisting the elderly in gaining better use of their arthritic hands by obliging with regular visits in which they would brush his long, soft fur and work to open their hands flat to give him a treat.

Zeus and his "life's work" is the inspiration for the Zeus Angel Award. We hope celebrating his memory by honoring other animal angels will bring much needed attention to the importance of animals in our lives.

The 2006 Zeus Angel Award
Presented
by the Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet and the Grimm Family
in loving memory of Zeus Grimm

Mission:
To honor the extraordinary impact rescued pets have on our lives by annually recognizing an outstanding adopted dog or cat that has strengthened the animal-human bond by providing exemplary service to the Miami-Dade community. These pets may have performed a single heroic deed, such as saving a life, or they may have worked tirelessly for years performing services such as pet therapy, humane education, or by keeping our borders and community safe as police and fire partners.

Award Criteria:
Must exemplify HSGM's mission through the following criteria:
1. A pet that has provided exemplary service to the Miami-Dade community in the prior 12 months.
2. Nominees must have been adopted from a shelter or rescue group to be eligible.
3. Specific examples of the pets' work must be provided.

Nomination Process:
If you know a Miami-Dade County dog or cat that you would like to nominate for this award, please click here to print out the nomination form, fill it out and return to the noted address.

One nomination form per pet must be completed and submitted by October 1, 2006 to be eligible for the award. There is no application fee and applicants may enter as many pets as they wish. Please include a photo of the candidate. Photos can only be returned if a self-addressed stamped envelope is also included. A selection committee will review all nominations and choose a winner. Award winners and their owners should be available to participate in the November award ceremony. Owners of award winners must be willing to sign a photo/video release and participate in media opportunities pertaining to the award.

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