Tippi Hedren is set to be honoured for her dedication to animal rights with a Lifetime Achievement accolade at the upcoming Genesis Awards.
The annual event, held by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), celebrates those who work to raise public awareness and understanding of animal issues.
Hedren has long been a leading campaigner against wild animals being held in captivity and she opened the Shambala Preserve big cat sanctuary in Acton, California in the late 1960s.
She also played an influential part in helping to win over U.S. lawmakers to pass The Captive Wildlife Safety Act in 2003, which limits the private ownership of big cats across the country.
Beverly Kaskey, a HSUS senior director, says, "She started speaking out against the commercial breeding and private ownership of big cats years before it became a widely recognised problem."
Hedren will be the guest of honour when the prizes are handed out in Los Angeles on 20 March (10) and it will be a family affair - she will receive the accolade from her actress daughter Melanie Griffith, reports ETonline.com.
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