The William J. von Liebig Foundation has presented the third annual von Liebig Prize winner for significant accomplishments in animal welfare activism and change to Lady Freethinker Founder and President Nina Jackel.
The $25,000 prize aims to support individuals facilitating meaningful change in their community by making a significant impact through their hard work in improving the lives of disadvantaged animals.
With this award, The William J. von Liebig Foundation acknowledges Jackel’s extraordinary efforts and success as President and Founder of Lady Freethinker (LFT), a non-profit dedicated to using journalism to educate its readers and empower them to make an impact on animal welfare through petitions, news, and animal rights advocacy.
“I am incredibly grateful to Suzanne von Liebig and everyone at the foundation,” Jackel says. “This award is not just for me, but for all of the animals who need our voice to help save them from suffering. Recognition such as this for animal activism helps highlight the importance of extending our compassion to all species.”
As a longtime animal advocate and President/Founder of LFT since 2013, Jackel has transformed a journalism blog into a successful and internationally recognized non-profit organization with over a million subscribers and supporters for its petition campaigns.
Dana Short, Director of Operations at LFT, nominated Jackel for the Prize. “Nina educates millions on animal issues,” Short says. “She uses the strength of petitions signed by over 20 million supporters to urge decision-makers to strengthen animal protection laws, and in doing so, is changing the way the world sees animals forever.”
Jackel’s activism knows no bounds and has taken her worldwide. From traveling to South Korea to document the horrific dog meat trade and successfully closing the country’s largest dog meat auction to Chile, where she has campaigned against a dogfighting ring that led to the largest-ever sentence for animal abuse in the nation.
Throughout her career, Jackel has shown profound selflessness and an abiding passion for improving the lives of all animals, especially those experiencing hidden cruelties from widely accepted habits like factory farms and medical testing, giving a voice to the voiceless who so desperately need it.
