Mara Steves to Receive Posthumous PETA Award

Word of Mara Steves and her brave act of courage to rescue an animal in need has reached People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Steves, 48, of Laguna Niguel, who was darting in and out of traffic on a busy roadway near her home, will receive a posthumous Compassionate Action Award from PETA.

The framed certificate will be presented to Steves' husband, John, and their children, Jonathan and Hannah, said PETA special projects coordinator Carrie Snider.

Snider said about 30 such awards are given in a calendar year to “regular everyday people who go out of their way to help an animal in need. It could be someone like Mara, to someone who saved an animal from an icy pond, to a fire department saving an animal.”

Snider said PETA heard about Steves through news reports and, “we were touched by her story and the fact that she put her own life in jeopardy to save the dog.”

"Mara died as she was helping another individual in trouble," said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "The death of such a caring soul is a loss not only to family and friends but also to the community. We hope that the example of love and courage that she set in coming to the aid of even the smallest and most vulnerable will inspire others to help animals in distress."

in a memorial service at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar. More than 400 friends, family members and schoolchildren gathered to pay their respects to a woman who touched so many lives in the community.