Ian Somerhalder Honored with Genesis' Wyler Award

When Ian Somerhalder isn't acting, he's busy fighting for creatures that need protection. And now the hearrtthrob has been honored for raising awareness on animal rights issues during the Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday (March 24).

While working the Beverly Hilton red carpet, the "Vampire Diaries" star cuddled up to the famous dog from "The Artist," Uggie, as he also showed off the plaque he received after being named as the Wyler award honoree.

Expressing his gratitude for the recognition, Somerhalder tweeted, "Amazing night- thank you HSUS,CW,Warner bros, & @verschoo for letting me come to LA this weekend.Most of all thank you ISF for tirelessly waging war on the imbalances&injustices in the world&standing up for those who have no voice.Thank you all from the bottom of my heart".

The 33-year-old has his own non-profit organization, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF), and has used his clout to bring attention to cases where animals have been wrongfully killed.