Humane Society Honors Tippi Hedren for a Lifetime of Dedication to Animals

Nearly fifty years ago, Tippi Hedren headlined Alfred Hitchcock's environmental thriller, The Birds. What you may not know is that she has devoted most of her life since that time to helping animals. To honor that dedication, the Humane Society of the United States will present Ms. Hedren with their Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th annual Genesis Awards on March 20th.

The award will be presented by Hedren's daughter, actress Melanie Griffith.

"Tippi is an extraordinary woman," said Beverly Kaskey, senior director of the Hollywood office of The Humane Society, "both a hands-on caregiver to 63 discarded big cats at the Shambala Preserve, as well as a tireless activist who continues to work in support of federal legislation that would ban the breeding of and the trade in exotic animals in the U.S."

Hedren founded The Roar Foundation and Shambala Preserve in 1983. The 80-acre wildlife reserve is currently home to lions, tigers, cougars, black and spotted leopards, servals, bobcats, Asian leopard cats, a jungle cat, a lynx, and one "very magnificent" liger (a lion-tiger hybrid). The animals were rescued from roadside zoos or from private owners who thought it would be fun to own an exotic cat, until the animals grew up and became too dangerous.

As an activist, Hedren co-authored the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, which passed in Congress in 2003. The Act prohibits interstate commerce in exotic cats for the pet trade. She has served on the boards of The Wildlife Safari and The Elsa Wild Animal Appeal, and is currently president of the American Sanctuary Association.

The 24th Genesis Awards will air on Animal Planet in April.

Photo courtesy of The Shambala Preserve.