Asst. dean finalist in Animal Planet’s ‘Hero of the Year’

Cathi Eagan has always loved animals, and her 10 pets – four dogs and six cats – would certainly attest to that if they could speak.

However, Don Juan Oscar Diego PLD (Parking Lot Dog), or Oscar for short, doesn’t need a voice – he is living proof of Eagan’s affection.

Oscar PLD, a former stray dog in Puerto Rico, got his name from where he was found.
In 2001, Eagan, assistant dean of the University graduate school and director of the McNair Scholars Program at IU, took a business trip to Puerto Rico. When she arrived, she found a stray dog lying in a parking lot near her residence and knew she had to help.

“I remember seeing him and thinking to myself, if he is still here when I leave, then I am going to take him home with me,” Eagan said. “Needless to say, at the end of my trip, there he was. That day I flew him back with me, drove him to my home and ever since, he has been a part of the family.”

Oscar is more than just a stray who found a home, however. He is a symbol of inspiration. The one-time stray represents the first of more than 3,000 dogs that Eagan has rescued this decade – a feat that has placed her as a finalist for Animal Planet’s “2008 Hero of the Year.”

Since 2006, Animal Planet has selected a “Hero of the Year” to recognize the most heroic feats from individuals who help or aid the animal population.

This year, Eagan is among the 10 finalists for the award.

A $10,000 grand prize is awarded to the animal welfare organization of the winner’s choice, according to the official rules on Animal Planet’s Web site.

In order to win, Eagan needs to acquire a combination of judge’s votes, which Animal Planet provides, as well as online votes. The winner will be declared at 10 p.m. Dec. 4 on Animal Planet Heroes.

Eagan’s nomination came from friend and shelter manager of Brown County Animal Shelter in Indiana, Jaime Robbins, for her creation of a volunteer-based project known as CanINE Express, among other reasons.

CanINE Express, which began in 2004 as a response to the stray pet crisis in Indiana and around the world, is based on the same process that Eagan used to rescue Oscar – transporting stray dogs to areas of the world where they can be helped.

Specifically, Eagan and other volunteers transport stray dogs from an over-crowded Brown County Animal Shelter to available shelters in New England each month.

“Cathi has inspired me, our staff and our board members to continue trying. With her inspiration, we have been able to boost our placement rate to an unbelievable 90 percent of all cats and dogs that have entered the shelter,” said Robbins, who first met Eagan when she was volunteering to walk dogs at the Brown County Animal Shelter. “The national average for shelters is around 40 percent.”

Eagan’s experience with animals has turned into a project that continues to save lives each day. With hundreds of volunteers from Indiana and surrounding states, CanINE Express is able to transport nearly 100 dogs each month.

The trip takes about 45 hours round-trip, Eagan said, and is made by a cargo van that Ace Rental Car donates. It typically consists of four to five vans – all driven by volunteers – and anywhere from 90 to 120 dogs.

Eagan has never missed a run.

Volunteers, who must pay for their own food and housing if they choose to stay in a hotel, are motivated by her constant fervor for each ride, said David Hocker, a McNair’s Scholar student and CanINE Express volunteer.

“She pushes herself so hard for the dogs on the shuttle,” Hocker said in an e-mail interview. “I remember stopping at a rest stop to relax for a few minutes one night, exhausted, and Cathi just put me to shame as she zoomed by me in her van with a big grin on her face. She showed more energy and life than me, a 22-year-old.”

Eagan’s most recent run came last Thursday, adding to an already impressive 3,343 dogs saved, according to the CanINE Express Web site. And although she would never call herself a hero, she wouldn’t mind if Animal Planet did.

“There is so much good that can be done with $10,000,” Eagan said with a grin. “If I win, I want to devote the money to a weekend event to help and spay and neuter the animal population in Puerto Rico. The best way to ensure the well-being of so many animals is to control their population. That is my dream – with or without the money.”