There are many people who advocate for the welfare of animals all over the world. As we celebrate Women's Month, I decided to dive in and celebrate four women who made a huge difference in the lives of animals and pets.
Jane Goodall – You can't think about women saving and helping animals without hearing the name Jane Goodall. Goodall turns 90 years old next month and is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees after 60 years of studying social and family interactions.
Jane Goodall Institute
In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which supports the Gombe research, and she is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. With nineteen offices around the world, the JGI is widely recognized for community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa.
Still Active
Still very active in her work in 2022, she is on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project. In April 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Goodall is an honorary member of the World Future Council.
Betty White – Actress Betty White was loved the world. She died weeks before her 100th birthday in January 2022. Betty spent many of those years advocating for animals. She was an animal welfare advocate who worked with organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, The Morris Animal Foundation, the African Wildlife Foundation, and Actors and Others for Animals.
TV's The Pet Set
Her interest in animal welfare began in the early 1970s while she produced and hosted the syndicated series The Pet Set, which spotlighted celebrities and their pets.
Morris Animal Foundation
As of 2009, White was the president emerita of the Morris Animal Foundation, where she served as a trustee of the organization beginning in 1971. She was a member of the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since 1974.
Dian Fossey – Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups from 1966 until her murder in 1985.
Gorilla Research
Fossey's account of her scientific study of the gorillas at Karisoke Research Center and prior career. It was adapted into a 1988 film, Gorillas in the Mist. The movie stars Sigourney Weaver as Fossey. It tells the story of Fossey, who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas and later fought to protect them.
The Movie
The film earned five nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Weaver and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The film won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Weaver.
Fossey's website says on the home page of their mission, "Gorillas are beautiful, resilient animals. However, poaching and habitat destruction have pushed their populations to the brink of extinction in recent decades. Our brave founder, Dian Fossey, knew that gorillas would need our help to survive. Today, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is dedicated to continuing and expanding Dian's work. We protect gorillas and their forests daily while helping the people who live near them."
Miranda Lambert – As a country music journalist since Miranda Lambert first hit the Nashville scene in 2005, I have watched her grow as an animal advocate through interviews, events, and stories she told me of how she would sit out at any Wal-Mart for days just to find the right home for a puppy. Miranda started MuttNation to help dogs, cats, and pets with her mom, Beverly, in 2009.
Vegas Donation
Just this month (3/20), as she prepared to wrap up her residency show, "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency," at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Lambert, along with Live Nation Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment, presented MuttNation Foundation with a final donation of $140,000.
MuttNation
Since opening in September of 2022, $1 of every ticket purchased to "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency" has been donated to Lambert's MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that has raised over $10 million since its inception.
The Foundation's mission is to promote the adoption of rescue pets, support animal shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter, and assist with transporting animals during times of natural disaster.
Miranda's Pets
Miranda has many animals at her home near Nashville, including many dogs, cats, and horses. She often goes to Nashville Animal Control in person to adopt a new pet and encourage others to do the same. I've seen firsthand how she is a friend to all dogs and cats.
