The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals bestowed the Dog and Cat of the Year Award to Toby, a 2 1/2-year-old golden retriever and Winnie, a gray-eyed American shorthair, respectively, during ceremonies held Friday in Rockefeller Center in New York City.

The two animals were cited for saving the lives of their masters during critical periods and weird circumstances.

According to Cathy Keesling, the owner of the cat from Indiana, Winnie saved the lives of her family when a gas-driven pump malfunctioned and spread carbon monoxide in their house.

Members of the family were already unconscious due to the tragedy, but Winnie managed to jump on the bed and clawed at Cathy's hair to awake her. State police responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.

In the case of the dog, Toby jumped in the chest of caretaker Debbie Parkhurst who choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home. The impact of the dog's feet on her chest forced the morsel to pop out of her throat.

"Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping magazine that the skin has all the nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that's what caused me to choke. I couldn't breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he did, and saved my life," Parkhurst recalled.