Don’t mess with Texas, and definitely don’t mess with Texan animal defenders!

From school board meetings to annual meetings and just about everywhere in between, proud Texas resident Susan Oakey always makes sure that animals’ voices are heard. To honor Susan’s decade of advocacy for animals, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk presented her with a Compassionate Activist Award on October 25 during the Dallas stop of her “We Are All Animals” speaking tour.

Susan’s heart for animals is as big as the state she calls home, and she’s been at the forefront of numerous PETA campaigns. She’s protested against a Garden Bros. Circus performance at a local school, spoken on PETA’s behalf at an ExxonMobil annual meeting to urge the company to stop sponsoring the cruel and deadly Iditarod dogsled race, called Canada Goose to demand that it stop selling fur and down, and contacted the QVC network to urge it to sell vegan and cruelty-free products.

Whenever there’s an opportunity to help animals, Susan is on it: She has checked on the welfare of elephants at a Renaissance fair, appeared front and center in multiple demonstrations against inhumane businesses, and handed out animal rights information at Pretenders and Paul McCartney concerts. When Ingrid spotted dozens of stray cats behind a convenience store dumpster during a trip to Dallas, she called on Susan, who made sure that they got the help they needed.

Ingrid honored Susan’s years of work for PETA and animals with a speech, inspiring the audience of fellow animal advocates never to be silent when animals need their help. The special evening concluded with a round of applause—and a round of delicious vegan desserts, including an extra-special treat from Baskin-Robbins. The company recently added two new vegan ice cream flavors to its menu after meeting with PETA, with more to come! Its Chocolate Extreme and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors got rave reviews from all and made for a sweet finale to the evening.