Eloise ‘Lulu’ Peck Named 2026 ASPCA Kid of the Year

Eloise “Lulu” Peck’s legacy of love for animals has led to her posthumous selection as the 2026 ASPCA Kid of the Year.

Peck, 8, was a Bradfield Elementary student and among the 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors who died in the catastrophic July 2025 Hill Country floods.

Following her death, her parents established the Living for Lulu Foundation to “bring comfort, healing, and hope to children and animals in need.”

“She delighted in befriending every creature she met — a spirit best captured by her pre-camp lemonade stand sign: ‘Lemonade is $5. Dogs Drink Free,'” the ASPCA’s press release noted.

The animal welfare organization will honor Peck’s memory as well as the other 2026 Humane Award honorees at a luncheon at The Plaza Hotel in New York City Oct. 8.

The other honorees are miniature therapy horses Aiden and Pearl, farm animal welfare advocate Craig Watts, New York City Police Department Mounted Unit’s Detective Kyle McLaughlin, Dog of the Year Canyon, and Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment (C-RAD).

“Animals show us extraordinary courage, resilience and an incredible capacity to trust and connect,” said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO. “The ASPCA Humane Awards celebrate remarkable animals whose stories inspire us and remind us why protecting and caring for animals matters so deeply.”

Author

Rachel Snyder

View Profile

Rachel Snyder, managing editor at People Newspapers, first joined the staff in 2019. She's covered everything from Dallas and University Park municipal government to business. Rachel began her journalism career at the daily newspaper The Express Star in Chickasha, Okla. She went on to work for the daily Duncan Banner in Duncan, Okla. the weekly Sand Springs Leader, and WFAA-TV in Dallas. She’s a fan of puns and community journalism, not necessarily in that order.