Compassion for animals was the hallmark of Doris Day's personal life. She was involved locally and nationally in speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. She also motivated those around her to get involved. As she said, "If I can do it, you can do it. Anybody can."
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This week the animals lost a friend – a champion, really – when Doris Daydied at age 97. Most fans remember her as a talented singer and movie star. She was that and so much more. Doris Day – known affectionately by her friends as “the dogcatcher of Beverly Hills” - was a lifelong advocate and activist for animals.
During the filming of the 1956 Hitchcock movie, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, she pressed for better treatment for animals on the set and even fed undernourished animals in the area.
In 1971, Doris Day co-founded Actors and Others for Animals, to address the problems of pet overpopulation and assist pet owners who needed financial support to care for their furry friends.
Later, she established the Doris Day Pet Foundation to help find homes for many of the animals that were being euthanized in local shelters. Now called the “Doris Day Animal Foundation”, it awards grants to other non-profit groups dedicated to helping animals through programs such as spay-neuter, veterinary assistance, pet food pantries, even wildlife rehabilitation.
Then she formed the Doris Day Animal League, a national non-profit citizens’ lobbying group, supporting animal protection legislation. In 1995 it launched an annual event called “Spay Day USA” to encourage all pet owners to have their own furry friends spayed or neutered. 12 years later, the organization joined forces with the Humane Society of the United States to expand this annual event as “World Spay Day”.
Doris Day knew she had star power, and wanted to use it to help animals and the humans who love them. But she didn’t just lend her name to these efforts. She stayed personally and actively involved with their management and operations.
Doris Day may be gone, but she will not soon be forgotten. Her legacy of compassion and care for animals made the world a better place for all of us. It serves as a reminder to us that we, too, can make a difference for the creatures that share our world, especially when we’re speaking of pets.
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