Middlebury, Vermont Radio Station, 92.1 WVTK-FM, Receives Prestigious Guardian's Voice Award

Morning show host Bruce Zeman and his dog Nathan to receive Guardian Superstar Awards for work on behalf of animals

San Rafael, Calif. – In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization with 85,000 members, today announced that Middlebury radio station WVTK-FM has received the prestigious Guardian’s Voice Award. WVTK’s Morning Show host, Bruce Zeman, and his dog Nathan received the organization’s Guardian Superstar awards.

Bruce Zeman is the host of WVTK’s popular “The Wake-up Crew” morning show. Dairy farming is Vermont’s primary source of agricultural income and the largest industry in New England, and Zeman’s fervent advocacy for animals includes all species – the cows, chickens, sheep, and goats who populate the state’s farms, as well as the state’s cats and dogs.

WVTK has been a pioneer for animals, not only in New England, but across the nation. Led by Zeman’s morning show, the station has served as a model for what is possible – delivering a message of compassion for animals, and promoting adoption with the Addison County Humane Society.

The station runs In Defense of Animals’ public service announcements, in steady rotation, and Zeman’s tens of thousands of daily listeners in Vermont and New York also learn about a wide variety of animal-related issues. WVTK, with Zeman leading the charge, is laying the groundwork for IDA’s Guardian Campaign to be adopted statewide. A growing number of citizens, legislators, humane societies, and rescue organizations around the country are replacing the term “animal owner” with “animal guardian” in their ordinances and literature, recognizing the word “owner” diminishes the human-animal bond. This nuanced but critical change in language elevates our companions’ status from disposable property to individual beings. The term “guardian” implies a level of responsibility above what we owe to things that we “own.”

WVTK’s steadfast championing of animal welfare has inspired IDA to present the station with its prestigious “Guardian’s Voice” award. Along with such eclectic programming as “Acoustic Cafe” and “The Sounds of Sinatra,” what distinguishes WVTK is the message of compassion and empathy toward animals that the station broadcasts on a daily basis. WVTK, and Zeman in particular, continue to serve as a voice for the voiceless, and through their collective actions, demonstrate what it means to be a guardian – to embrace the powerful idea that we respect and honor our animal companions’ emotions and needs.

A story about Zeman’s newest family member personifies the profound impact of the Guardian Campaign and WVTK’s passionate engagement. While doing a promotion for a client, Zeman learned the Addison County Humane Society brought in a Dachshund who had been abused. He rushed to see the tiny dog who was battered and bruised, with cuts and a bad rash.

The pup was turned in by a woman whose husband was abusing and threatening to kill him. He lived in constant fear, rarely went outside, and was never walked. He was terrified of men. When Zeman met him, he chose to help, as he did twelve years ago with the legendary Dachshund and inspirer of his own law, Nathan.

Zeman and his wife, Tami, adopted the pup, and named him Hobbes. In two weeks, Hobbes made a remarkable transformation. His new family also includes WVTK, which adopted him as the station’s dog-in-residence, where he accompanies Zeman daily. Zeman said “everybody, from management to our sales people, stepped up, as I knew they would, to make a difference.”

Before Hobbes, there was Nathan, the reason Zeman was originally stirred to action regarding IDA’s Guardian Campaign, of which Nathan is the national poster dog. As president of his building’s Tenant Association in New Jersey, Zeman sued a former landlord on behalf of himself and 20 other families, defending their right to live with their animal companions. He was triumphant. “During the dispute,” Zeman says, “I discovered animals were regarded as little more than property in New Jersey, and that seemed ridiculous.”

After moving into his new house, Zeman took up the Guardian Campaign to replace the term “pet owners” with “guardians” in the ordinances of his hometown of Wanaque, New Jersey. Wanaque became the first Guardian City in the Garden State on May 10, 2004. The change became known as “Nathan’s Law” – the first ordinance in the history of the state of New Jersey to recognize animals as family members and not property. “Nathan’s Law” is widely regarded as a landmark animal-protection ordinance.

Zeman presents humane education workshops at schools to educate children about treating animals with compassion and respect. Accompanied by the gregarious Nathan, Zeman emphasizes that kindness to animals makes for kinder, more considerate people, and thus strengthens our communities. He compares cruelty to animals to bullies at schools who prey upon smaller children to make themselves feel powerful. Zeman says even the youngest child can help animals by reporting animal abuse to an adult, or urging those who want dogs and cats to adopt from a shelter.

According to IDA’s President, Dr. Elliot M. Katz, “altering language can change the way we think about other species. Using the term “guardian” is more than symbolic – guardians are less likely to chain or abandon their animals and more likely to have them spayed and neutered. Companion animals who have guardians are more likely to receive proper veterinary care. Guardians, in general, are more likely to adopt and rescue animals rather than buy and sell them.”

As a result of their tireless work on behalf on animals, Zeman and Nathan are both being awarded the “Guardian Superstar” Award, in conjunction with the award given to WVTK, to recognize and acknowledge the profound impact their work on behalf of animals has had.

Zeman and his wife Tami live in Middlebury, Vermont, with their dogs Nathan, Hobbes, and Nikki.

Contact: Dr. Elliot M. Katz, emk@idausa.org, 415-448-0075