York County Boy’s Birthday Wish Wins Him PETA Award

For Immediate Release:
March 10, 2021

Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382

A Hero to Animals Award from PETA Kids, PETA’s youth division, is on its way to 5-year-old Draven Shipper after he asked friends and family to send him food, treats, supplies, and toys for animal shelters instead of birthday gifts—collecting dozens of items for needy dogs and cats.

“Draven’s heart is so big that he was willing to use his own birthday to assist shelters and bring comfort to homeless animals,” says PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg. “PETA Kids is recognizing his efforts for dogs and cats and hopes he inspires others to take action.”

PETA Kids—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that approximately 70 million dogs and cats are homeless in the U.S. at any given time. The group urges families to adopt from shelters instead of buying animals from breeders or pet stores and to follow Draven’s lead by treating four-legged family members to toys, good food, exercise, and affection.

PETA Kids opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAKids.com or follow the group on Facebook or Instagram.