Debrecen4U September 15, 2025

Debrecen Kutyaház Animal Shelter among the nominees for Highlights of Hungary

In addition to the Debrecen animal rights activists, the nominees for the award include Ferenc Porkoláb, a folk artist from Derecske. Voting will be open in October.

Highlights of Hungary has announced the 25 outstanding Hungarian achievements of this season.

The final nominees for the categoryless award, which recognizes talent, perseverance, and creativity, were selected by such Hungarian role models as actor Márk Ember, Olympic swimmer Boglárka Kapás, TV presenter Marcsi Borbás, pediatric surgeon Dr. Róbert Kőnig, and baker Szabolcs Szabadfi.

This year, the nominees include the Debrecen Dog House Animal Shelter and Ferenc Porkoláb, a folk artist and “szűr” (traditional Hungarian cloak) maker from Derecske.

The Debrecen Kutyaház Animal Shelter was nominated by Debrecen-born Boglárka Kapás, and Ferenc Porkoláb was nominated by Dr. Róbert Kőnig.

The non-profit initiative behind the social award, which has been in operation since 2014, aims to recognize and introduce to a wider audience those Hungarian talents and projects that can serve as examples for all of us. The special feature of the award is that, in addition to the “usual” role models (athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs), it also draws attention to value-creating stories, such as certain university courses, sustainability solutions, unique forms of preserving traditions, nutritional science, or equal opportunity initiatives. In previous years, the competition had several Debrecen nominees and award winners, such as the Great Forest Water Tower, the image of the European Capital of Culture competition, and the Csokonai Theatre’s performance of Hamlet.

This year, anyone could also suggest the most inspiring performance for them on the Highlights of Hungary website. From the more than a thousand recommendations received, the ambassadors selected the 25 ambassador awardees, whom we can now get to know and from whom we can select the social awardees.

The general public will have the opportunity to vote for the candidates online between October 1 and 24 on the website www.tarsadalmidij.hu. The ceremonial award ceremony will take place on October 30, where the three candidates with the most votes will receive the applied artwork representing the social award and the accompanying prize of 3 million forints.

Debrecen Dog House Animal Shelter

According to the description, Debreceni Kutyaház Animal Shelter has been operating under the auspices of the Together for Animals Association since 2004. What they started in a small house with a garden is now a modern animal shelter: they care for more than 200 dogs and 80 kittens every day. For them, the shelter is not just a place where orphaned animals are given a roof over their heads—it is a mission centered on love, healing, and a second chance.

The shelter mainly accepts mixed-breed dogs and kittens in distress: animals that have had an accident, are sick, have been abandoned, or have been rescued from bad conditions. They all undergo veterinary care, quarantine, a vaccination program, and neutering before they can be adopted. Adoption is a strict, multi-step process with live meetings and pre- and post-checks ensuring that dogs end up with truly responsible owners.

The backbone of the community is made up of volunteers: students, mothers, and employees who walk, do postings, and help with adoptions and events.

In addition to social media, they regularly visit schools and kindergartens to give lectures, because they believe that changing attitudes is key to the future. They also have a passion for the “Kutyaház” Program (#akutyahazalapjog), in which they help dogs from families living in difficult circumstances in rural areas with dog houses, vaccinations, neutering, and food.

Although they face difficulties every day—full houses, animals in accidents, financial burdens—the greatest joy for them is always when one of their protégés finally finds a home. It doesn’t matter if it’s been weeks or ten years, they stick by them: there is no anesthesia at the animal shelter; every dog ​​and kitten stays until it finds its family.

Their future plans include setting up their own veterinary clinic on the premises, building more enclosures, and saving even more lives. They believe that by working together, every animal deserves safety, care, and a loving home.

Ferenc Porkoláb

The name of Derecske has been intertwined with the making of “szűr,” this ancient Hungarian craft, for centuries. This tradition is carried on by Ferenc Porkoláb, a folk artist and Master of Folk Art, whose works both evoke the past and speak to the present.

Born in Derecske in 1952, his destiny was not set in stone but rather by chance. It all started with the repair of an old, foot-operated Singer sewing machine—from this his first tablecloth with “szűr” overlay was born. Within a short time, he was accepted into the Folk Artists’ Household Industry Cooperative, and after decades of hard work, he became one of the best-known figures in Hungarian folk art.

The “szűr” was once the most valuable garment worn by men: it protected from the cold and protected from the heat.

For him, folk art is a living heritage: not something to be put in a display case, but a treasure that enriches our everyday lives. That is why he also considers the transfer of knowledge important: he taught in the Master and Apprentice program, where his student proved the value of the knowledge he received from the master with an award-winning work.

His works can be seen at festivals—for example, at the Crafts Festival, where he always willingly invites interested parties to sit next to him. He often gives away a small piece, as the greatest joy for him is to see the happiness in the eyes of those who hold the freshly made work in their hands.

Ferenc Porkoláb is not only a creator but also a keeper and transmitter of tradition. His work proves that Hungarian folk art is not a memory of the past but part of our future: a heritage that can enrich every generation.

This year’s nominees are

re’s the list with standard bullet points instead of the special characters:

• A Szőlő Jövésnek Könyve – 275-year-old Kőszeg traditional publication
• Baltazár Theatre – a company of actors with disabilities
• Bán János (Bán Mór) – writer
• Bibo and Cleaneco – environmentally friendly product developers
• Dr. Andrea Bojti – child psychologist
• Csoroszlyafarm – regenerative economy
• Debrecen Kutyaház Animal Shelter – animal protection organization
• Róbert Jankó – nutrition researcher
• Ottó Kalányos – Catholic priest, Transylvanian Roma pastoralism
• Tibor Kapu – Hungarian astronaut
• Dávid Losonczi – world and European champion wrestler
• Hungarian University of Dance Arts – higher education institution
• Norbert Michelisz – racing driver, world champion
• What Shall We Play? Vlog – board game content creators
• Dr. Gyula J. Obádovics – university lecturer in mathematics and computer science, senior athlete
• Örökké Haza – community project dealing with the care of abandoned babies in hospitals
• Ferenc Porkoláb – folk artist, filter insert maker
• Balázs Szabó Bandája – band, songwriter-singer
• Széchenyi István University Motorsport MSc – motorsport engineering training
• Dr. Ádám Takács – particle physicist
• Nikolett Tóth – dancer and ballet master
• Csaba Varga – architect, mountaineer
• WALISE – Water & Life Services – water quality monitoring and regulation system and service
• Prof. Dr. Péter Zombola – composer, music teacher

Source:dehir.hu | Photo credit: Pixabay (illustration)