PATSY Award
The PATSY Award was originated by the Hollywood office of the American Humane Association in 1939. They decided to honor animal performers after a horse was killed in an on-set accident during the filming of the Tyrone Power film Jesse James. The letters are an acronym, and stand for Picture Animal Top Star of the Year. A later acronym was also included: Performing Animal Television Star of the Year.
The very first recipient of a PATSY was Francis the Talking Mule in 1951, in a ceremony hosted by Ronald Reagan at Hollywood's Carthay Circle Theater. The award later covered both film and television and was separated into four categories: canine, equine, wild and special. The special category encompassed everything from goats to cats to pigs - Arnold Ziffel of TV's Green Acres was a two-time winner. Arnold's trainer, Frank Inn, was the proud owner of over 40 PATSY awards, thanks to his work with Orangey, the cat from Rhubarb and Breakfast at Tiffany's ; Higgins, the dog ; Cleo the Basset Hound; and Lassie, and Tramp the dog from My Three Sons to name a few. Lassie was retired to the PATSY Hall of Fame after receiving many awards over the years.
The Craven Award was named in honor of Richard C. Craven, the first director of the Hollywood AHA. It recognized animals that would normally have had no opportunity to appear in a starring role. The TV and Movie Animal Walk of Fame was established in front of the Burbank Animal Shelter, honoring certain early recipients of the PATSY Awards.
By the 1970s, the awards were being presented in a televised ceremony, with animal recipients selected by the general public who voted in ballots which appeared in Associated Press newspapers. The first network presentation was on CBS in 1973.
Over the years the PATSY Award ceremony was hosted by various celebrities, including Betty White, Allen Ludden, and Bob Barker. Barker has stated he eventually resigned in protest of the cruel methods some trainers use when training animals for films.
The awards ended in 1986 due to lack of funding. That year the Genesis Awards were established to honor individuals in the major news and entertainment media for producing outstanding works which raise public awareness of animal issues. In 2011 the American Humane Society announced the creation of the Pawscars, described as, "an unofficial, animal-centric spin on the Oscars."
The American Humane Association is the organization responsible for the disclaimer at the end of many films and television programs that "No Animals Were Harmed" in the production.
PATSY Award Winners (partial listing)
Source, 1951–1973:1951
Motion Pictures- Francis the Talking Mule
- California the horse
- Pierre the chimp
- Flame the dog
- Lassie the dog
- Black Diamond the horse
- Jackie the Lion
- Jerry Brown the horse - trained by Ace Hudkins
1952
- Rhubarb the cat
- Francis the mule
- Chinook the dog
- Diamond the horse
- Corky the dog
- Smoky the horse - owned/trained by Fat Jones
1953
- Jackie the lion
- Bonzo the Chimp
- Trigger the horse
- Francis the mule
- Tramp Jr. the dog
- Cheeta the chimp
- Chinook the dog
- Bracket the horse - owned by Hudkins Stables
1954
- Sam the dog
- Francis the mule
- Jackie the lion
- Baron the dog
- Peggy the chimp
- Jackie the lion
- Cocaine the horse - owned/trained by Chuck Roberson
1955
- Beauty the horse
- Francis the mule
- Esmerelda the seal
- Shep the dog
- Satin the tiger
- Beauty the horse
- Flash the horse - owned/trained by Henry Willis
1956
- Wildfire the dog
- Francis the mule
- Faro the dog
- N/A
- Flame the dog - owned/trained by Frank Barnes
1957
- Samantha the goose
- Beauty the Horse
- Francis the mule
- Silver the horse
- Lady the dog
- Bascom the dog
- King Cotton the horse - owned/trained by Ralph McCutcheon
1958
Motion Pictures
- Spike the dog
- Beauty the horse
- Kelly the dog
- Lassie the dog
- Cleo the dog
- Rin Tin Tin the dog
- Tony the horse
- Flicka the horse
- Trigger the horse - owned by Roy Rogers / trained by Glenn Randall
1959
- Pyewacket the cat
- Tonka the horse
- Henry the rabbit
- Lassie the dog
- Asta the dog
- Rin Tin Tin the dog
- King the dog
- Jasper the dog
- Baldy the horse - owned by Fat Jones Stables / trained by William "Buster" Trow
1960
- Shaggy the dog
- Herman the pigeon
- North Wind the horse
- Asta the dog
- Lassie the dog
- Fury the horse ; Jasper the dog - tied
- Sharkey, Dempsey, Choctaw, and Joker the horses
1961
- King Cotton the horse
- Spike the dog
- Stubbs the monkey ; Skip the dog - tied
- Tramp the dog
- Lassie the dog
- Fury the horse
1962
- Orangey the cat
- Pete the dog
- Flame the horse
- Mister Ed the horse
- Lassie the dog
- Tramp the dog
1963
- Big Red the dog
- Sydney the elephant
- Zamba the lion
- Mister Ed the horse
- Lassie the dog
- Tramp the dog
- Mickey O'Boyle the horse
1964
- Tom Dooley the dog
- Pluto the dog
- Raunchy the jaguar
- Lassie the dog
- Mister Ed the horse
- Tramp the dog
1965
- Patrina the tiger
- Storm the dog
- Junior the dog
- Flipper the dolphin
- Lassie the dog
- Mister Ed the horse
- Lucky Buck the horse
1966
- Syn Cat the cat
- Clarence the lion
- Judy the chimp
- Flipper the dolphin
- Lord Nelson the dog
- Higgins the dog
- Smokey the horse
1967
- Elsa the lion
- Duke the dog
- Vindicator the steer
Motion Pictures
- Ben the bear
- Sir Tim the mountain lion
- Sophie the sea lion
- Arnold the pig
- Ben the bear
- Clarence the lion
1969
- Albarado the horse
- Arnold the pig
- Timmy the chimp
- Chauncey the cougar
1970
- Rascal the raccoon
- Scruffy the dog
- Algae the seal
- Kilroy the horse
1971
- Ben the rat
- Arnold the pig
- Margie the elephant, Lassie's family three pups
- Pax the dog
- Otto the horse
1972
- Ben the rat
- Farouk the dog
- Morris the Cat
- Cocaine the horse
1973
- Alpha the Dolphin
- Midnight the Cat ")
- Caesar the Dog
- Scruffy the Dog
Humane Association "The National Review", June 1974 issue.
1974
Motion Pictures- Tonto the cat
1976
- Rosco the Mule
Trophy listing
| Year | Name | Animal | Picture | Producer |
| 1950 | Francis | Mule | Francis | Universal International |
| 1951 | Rhubarb | Cat | Rhubarb | Perlberg-Seaton |
| 1952 | Jackie | Lion | Fearless Fagan | MGM |
| 1953 | Sam | Dog | Hondo | Wayne-Fellows |
| 1954 | Gypsy | Horse | Gypsy Colt | MGM |
| 1955 | Wildfire | Dog | It's a Dog's Life | MGM |
| 1956 | Samantha | Goose | Friendly Persuasion | Allied Artists |
| 1957 | Spike | Dog | Old Yeller | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1958 | Pyewacket | Cat | Bell, Book and Candle | Columbia Pictures |
| 1959 | Shaggy | Dog | The Shaggy Dog | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1960 | King Cotton | Horse | Pepe | Columbia Pictures |
| 1961 | Orangey | Cat | Breakfast at Tiffany's | Paramount Pictures |
| 1962 | Big Red | Dog | Big Red | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1963 | Tom Dooley | Dog | Savage Sam | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1964 | Patrina | Tiger | A Tiger Walks | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1965 | Syn | Cat | That Darn Cat! | Walt Disney Productions |
| 1966 | Elsa | Lion | Born Free | Columbia Pictures |
| 1967 | Ben | Bear | Gentle Giant | Ivan Tors Productions |
| 1974 | Tonto | Cat | Harry and Tonto | 20th Century Fox |