CNN’s Hero of the Year: Proving Second Chance Right

10 Dec CNN’s Hero of the Year: Proving Second Chance Right

We simply could not overlook the coincidence. Timing is everything: this week’s Second Chance column is all about “Pet Parenting for More Meaningful Living” and talks about the profound, often life-changing, life-enhancing bond between humans and their pets. Between soldiers and strays formed during war? That’s the connection on steroids. CNN’s Hero of the Year is Pen Farthing. His nonprofit, Nowzad Dogs (named after a town in Afghanistan where the Royal Marine Sergeant broke up a dog fight) reunites soldiers with stray dogs and cats they took in during combat. Read on (tissues at the ready) for more in this post by Katie McLaughlin of CNN, which also includes the other Hero nominees and information about their causes.

 Pen Farthing, who founded a nonprofit that reunites soldiers with stray dogs and cats they took in during combat, is the 2014 CNN Hero of the Year.

“There is no stronger bond between man and dog than that formed during war,” Farthing said at the annual tribute show, which aired Sunday night on CNN’s global networks.

The star-studded event, held in New York at the American Museum of Natural History, honored the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2014 — everyday people making extraordinary efforts to change the world. Of those 10, CNN’s audience voted Farthing as the Hero of the Year.

“Wow, I am absolutely at a loss for words,” Farthing said as he accepted the award. “This is absolutely amazing. I would really like to thank everybody who voted for the Nowzad charity and what we do in Afghanistan and believing in us. And I would also like to thank all the other heroes in this room for doing what they do to make this world an absolute better place. Thank you guys for doing what you do. Thank you.”

In addition to the $25,000 that each person receives for making the Top 10, Farthing will be awarded $100,000 for his cause.

The inspiration for Nowzad Dogs came in 2006.

When Farthing helped break up a dogfight in the town of Nowzad, Afghanistan, the Royal Marine sergeant didn’t think much of it. The war-torn town was overrun with dogs.

But when one of those dogs followed him back to base, it was hard to tell who rescued whom…

Pen and the dog he rescued – or who rescued him.

Continue reading here.

And watch this video, which tells his story:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2014/11/19/hoty-sot.cnn.html