Foxy accepts his award from the Hartz Mountain Corporation along with his owner Mrs. Maquire.
You never know what will happen when you save a life. Foxy, a Pit Bull mixed breed, was taken out by his owner Joan Maquire of Fort Salonga, NY at 11:00 pm on a cold and frigid night. Mrs. Maquire, 82, slipped and fell down the stairs, landing on the cold ground outside of her home. She was unable to move or to signal for help with her flashlight, so Foxy went into action. The canine covered Mrs. Maquire with her body to keep her warm and frantically barked for an hour and a half to try to draw attention from neighbors. Finally, neighbors summoned much-needed assistance for her owner.
While Mrs. Maquire was recuperating from her broken hip, Foxy was sent to the Little Shelter Dog and Cat Adoption Center. Foxy was very familiar with this facility as her life was saved there. Following a car accident, Foxy was left with a badly broken leg and was on death row at a local animal shelter. Thanks to the vet at Little Shelter and three surgeries later, Foxy's leg was saved. Foxy stayed at Little Shelter for 16 months and finally found a loving forever home with Mrs. Maquire.
Because of her heroic deed, Foxy was presented with the Heroes of Hartz Award presented by the Hartz Mountain Corporation celebrating the human-animal bond. The black-tie affair was held at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City where 250 guests shared their evening with Foxy, Mrs. Maquire and the wonderful people at Little Shelter. Following the trophy presentation to Foxy, the Hartz Corporation also presented a check for $10,000 to Little Shelter as a donation to the "Foxy Fund". The "Foxy Fund" was established to meet the needs of senior and special needs dogs and cats that have been saved from death by Little Shelter as they wait to be adopted by a loving family.