Nan Bush and Bruce Weber

Presented by Katharina Otto-Bernstein and Peter Marino, ARF’s 2017 Champion of Animals Award honors Nan Bush and Bruce Weber. Both are long-time ARF supporters who have incorporated their love for animals—including ARFans—into their celebrated projects in film and photography over the course of their 45-year collaboration.

Bruce’s 2016 essay for Vogue Italia, titled “A Dog Is Not Just for Christmas,” gave voice to the special bond we share with the animals in our families and to the underlying compassion and empathy behind the inclusion of dogs in his films and photos. From Billie Holiday—a pit bull rescue who “liked only babies, Nan, myself, and our 6 goldens”—to ARF’s own rescued animals, Bruce’s inclusion of dogs in his work belies his belief that compassion for animals defines our character.

Bruce and Nan share the same heartfelt values that guide ARF’s mission, and we are privileged to count them among our family of adopters and loyal friends.