Celebrity Connection - Using Fame for Advocacy
It is gratifying to see so many celebrities using their fame (and their financial resources) to promote kindness and compassion for animals. Hats off to the like of Tippie Hedron, Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, and Michael Elan. Read more about their advocacy projects here.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Randy Jackson about the inauguration of the second annual Morris' Million Cat Rescue from 9 Lives, home of the famous Morris, a several months-long effort that Jackson joined last year. I'm pleased to present my interview, including the latest news about the Million Cat Rescue, Randy's thoughts about American Idol, as well as what's coming up professionally for Randy Jackson. See pictures of Morris, Randy Jackson, and American Idol's Simon and Ryan.
In addition to her many animal-related causes, Betty White has been a trustee of The Morris Animal Foundation for 31 years, is their President Emeritus and serves on their Executive Committee.
Bob Barker, long-time host of "The Price is Right," is a man who lives by his convictions, and one of the strongest one is his advocacy for animals. He ends every show with a reminder to "spay and neuter your pet."
Michael Elan, model, actor (and voted "Sexiest Man Alive" in New York), has his own feral cat colony in Florida, where he spends his own money feeding the unwanted cats and attending to their spaying and neutering. Goal: to build a sanctuary.
Tippi Hendron is a celebrity who turned her fame to a higher use, by advocating for the big cats and other wild animals who suffer abuse and lack of care, with her Shambala Preserve and the Roar Foundation.
Each February the Doris Day Animal Foundation gears up for Spay Day USA, a national campaign to end the killing of healthy, adoptable animals by promoting the benefits of spay/neuter. Spay and neuter groups are encouraged to participate.
Singer-actor Robert Goulet is so crazy about his cats that he takes them with him on tour.
