Woman Wins Outstanding Activist Award

What’s a person to do when her one-woman demonstration against a traveling exotic animal act brings out a band of bullies? Follow Bridgette Brady’s lead: hold her sign—and her head—even higher.

Bridgette, who stays busy helping homeless dogs and cats in Escanaba, Michigan, was determined to educate city residents about Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogal, the man behind GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park. When Schreibvogal brought his menagerie of miserable animals, “Mystical Magic of the Endangered” to her local mall, Bridgette set up a protest outside. The sign she held as she stood there was so simple—”Joe ‘Exotic’-fined $25,000 for animal abuse by the USDA!”—but Bridgette claims that it riled up the show’s workers and that they surrounded her and tried to intimidate her.

Did she retreat? Nope—quite the opposite. The vegan morning radio show host has stepped up her efforts to ensure that exotic animal acts are forever banned in her town. In addition to writing letters to editors and staging protests, Bridgette, who’s also vice president of the City Planning Commission, is now working to pass a local ordinance to ban exotic or endangered animal acts.

For her relentless determination to make a difference for animals, we are delighted to present Bridgette Brady with an Outstanding Activist Award for a job well done!

Written by Karin Bennett