Animal heroes celebrated at IFAW Animal Action Awards
Sgiath was trained as a mountain rescue search dog, before learning to detect an invasive marine organism.
The world’s first sea vomit detection dog has been named ‘Animal of the Year’ at this year’s International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Animal Action Awards.
Sgiath, a Scottish Labrador, received the award at BAFTA in London on 15 October 2026. The event was hosted by wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan, with six other individuals honoured at the ceremony.
The Animal of the Year award recognised the work of Sgiath and her handler, marine ecologist Dr Texa Sim, in detecting the invasive marine organism Didemnum vexillum. Commonly known as ‘sea vomit’, the organism is particularly harmful to coastal wildlife.
Sgiath was originally trained as a mountain rescue search dog, but is now able to rapidly detect sea vomit by its scent. She has been honoured for helping to pioneer this new approach to marine conservation and for helping to tackle this invasive species.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Vet of the Year Award was presented to Dr Mukami Ruoro-Oundo, a wildlife veterinary surgeon from Kenya.
Dr Ruoro-Oundo works for the Kenya Wildlife Service, where she has dedicated her career to the treatment of injured and sick wildlife. Her vocation has seen her care for elephants, rhinos, and big cats, as well as helping to pioneer protocols for treating rescued pangolins.
As one of the first female wildlife vets to join the service in more than 16 years, she has also been praised for creating opportunities for more women to join the profession.
Among the other awards presented at the ceremony was the Wildlife Rescue Award, which went to Rachael Murton.
In 2008, Ms Murton established the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned elephants into the wild. As County Director of Game Rangers International, she oversees conservation and wildlife protection programmes across the country.
The orphanage has since marked a significant milestone, with more orphaned elephants living successfully in the wild than remaining in rehabilitation.
Also recognised were:
• Conservation Changemaker Award: Flavia Miranda
• Conservation Coexistence Award: Liomba-Junior Mathe
• Marine Conservation Award: Dr Rima Jabado
• Wildlife Crime Award: Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly
The nominees were submitted by members of the public. After a review and shortlisting process, the winner was selected by a panel.
Azzedine Downes, president and CEO of IFAW, said: “Though these awardees hail from different countries, cultures, and disciplines, they are fundamentally united by a common goal—to create a more hopeful future for animals and the communities that live closely alongside them. Their tireless work demonstrates that harmony is possible, and that people and animals can indeed thrive together.
“Celebrating their achievements and the positive impact they are creating for animals around the globe is a unique and very special opportunity. It is a cornerstone at the very essence of the Animal Action Awards.”
Image © IFAW
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