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
  1. Francis the Talking Mule
  2. California the horse
  3. Pierre the chimp
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Rhubarb the cat
  2. Francis the mule
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Jackie the lion
  2. Bonzo the Chimp
  3. Trigger the horse
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Sam the dog
  2. Francis the mule
  3. Jackie the lion
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Beauty the horse
  2. Francis the mule
  3. Esmerelda the seal
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Wildfire the dog
  2. Francis the mule
  3. Faro the dog
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Samantha the goose
  2. Beauty the Horse
  3. Francis the mule
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Spike the dog
  2. Beauty the horse
  3. Kelly the dog
Television
  1. Lassie the dog
  2. Cleo the dog
  3. Rin Tin Tin the dog
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Pyewacket the cat
  2. Tonka the horse
  3. Henry the rabbit
Television
  1. Lassie the dog
  2. Asta the dog
  3. Rin Tin Tin the dog
Award of Excellence
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Shaggy the dog
  2. Herman the pigeon
  3. North Wind the horse
Television
  1. Asta the dog
  2. Lassie the dog
  3. Fury the horse, Jasper the dog
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. King Cotton the horse
  2. Spike the dog
  3. Stubbs the monkey, Skip the dog
Television
  1. Tramp the dog
  2. Lassie the dog
  3. Fury the horse

    1962

Motion Pictures
  1. Orangey the cat
  2. Pete the dog
  3. Flame the horse
Television
  1. Mister Ed the horse
  2. Lassie the dog
  3. Tramp the dog

    1963

Motion Pictures
  1. Big Red the dog
  2. Sydney the elephant
  3. Zamba the lion
Television
  1. Mr. Ed the horse
  2. Lassie the dog
  3. Tramp the dog
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Tom Dooley the dog
  2. Pluto the dog
  3. Raunchy the jaguar
Television
  1. Lassie the dog
  2. Mr. Ed the horse
  3. Tramp the dog

    1965

Motion Pictures
  1. Patrina the tiger
  2. Storm the dog
  3. Junior the dog
Television
  1. Flipper the dolphin
  2. Lassie the dog
  3. Mr. Ed the horse
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Syn Cat the cat
  2. Clarence the lion
  3. Judy the chimp
Television
  1. Flipper the dolphin
  2. Lord Nelson the dog
  3. Higgins the dog
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Elsa the lion
  2. Duke the dog
  3. Vindicator the steer
Television
  1. Judy the chimp
  2. Flipper the dolphin
  3. Arnold the pig

    1968

Motion Pictures
  1. Ben the bear
  2. Sir Tim the mountain lion
  3. Sophie the sea lion
Television
  1. Arnold the pig
  2. Ben the bear
  3. Clarence the lion

    1969

Motion Pictures
  1. Albarado the horse
Television
  1. Arnold the pig
  2. Timmy the chimp
  3. Chauncey the cougar

    1970

Motion Pictures
  1. Rascal the raccoon
Television
  1. Scruffy the dog
  2. Algae the seal
Craven Award
Motion Pictures
  1. Ben the rat
Television
  1. Arnold the pig
  2. Margie the elephant, Lassie's family three pups
  3. Pax the dog
  4. Otto the horse

    1972

Motion Pictures
  1. Ben the rat
Television
  1. Farouk the dog
  2. Morris the Cat
Craven Award
Motion Pictures)
Television
Television Movie
Television Commercials
Sharon Evans AHA PATSY Award winner 1st Place with "Midnight" the Cat for best animal performance in a TV Series. American
Humane Association "The National Review", June 1974 issue.

1976

Motion Pictures
The February 1, 1999, episodes of Antiques Roadshow features the 1967 American Humane Association Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in Motion Pictures, appraised by Leila Dunbar. On the trophy's base is a series of plaques listing the top winner in this category, matched with the year of the animal's movie work rather than the year the award was bestowed. The plaques list:
YearNameAnimalPictureProducer
1950FrancisMuleFrancisUniversal International
1951RhubarbCatRhubarbPerlberg-Seaton
1952JackieLionFearless FaganMGM
1953SamDogHondoWayne-Fellows
1954GypsyHorseGypsy ColtMGM
1955WildfireDogIt's a Dog's LifeMGM
1956SamanthaGooseFriendly PersuasionAllied Artists
1957SpikeDogOld YellerWalt Disney Productions
1958PyewacketCatBell, Book and CandleColumbia Pictures
1959ShaggyDogThe Shaggy DogWalt Disney Productions
1960King CottonHorsePepeColumbia Pictures
1961The CatCatBreakfast at Tiffany'sParamount Pictures
1962Big RedDogBig RedWalt Disney Productions
1963Tom DooleyDogSavage SamWalt Disney Productions
1964PatrinaTigerA Tiger WalksWalt Disney Productions
1965SynCatThat Darn Cat!Walt Disney Productions
1966ElsaLionBorn FreeColumbia Pictures
1967BenBearGentle GiantIvan Tors Productions