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If you're a needy animal looking for a voice, it is helpful to have a celebrity on your side. Good thing so many famous folks adore helping critters. Check out a few of our favorite Hollywood animal fans and find out how you can join their fuzzy, caring causes.
NEVER TOO OLD FOR ANIMALS
Caring Celeb: Betty White
Cuddly Cause: Betty White has been caring about animals since way before it was cool. She started her animal-rights work in 1970, has written several books on animals and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo. White is also an honorary president of the Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all animals lead longer and happier lives. The actress asked everyone to donate to the foundation in lieu of presents for her birthday this year.
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ADORBS MAN FOR ADORBS ANIMALS
Caring Celeb: Ian Somerhalder
Cuddly Cause: Somerhalder came on to the animal-rights scene in 2010 when he helped clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and held a charity bash for the cause. The "Vampire Diaries" actor also started the Ian Somerhalder Foundation with the mission to educate young people about the importance of animals and the environment. The young nature enthusiast has already landed honors for his work from the Humane Society.
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MODEL CITIZEN FOR ANIMALS
Caring Celeb: Gisele Bundchen
Cuddly Cause: Gisele has her beautiful, slender model hands in all kinds of wonderful causes. She is a longtime supporter of habitat protection, speaking out against water pollution and deforestation across the globe. This work earned her the 2011 Greenest Celeb Award at the International Green Awards. Recently, Bundchen has turned her attention to protecting elephants, after having a close encounter with a baby elephant on a charity trip to Africa.
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DON'T GIVE ANIMALS THE COLD SHOULDER
Caring Celeb: Alec Baldwin
Cuddly Cause: This smooth-talking celeb is all about helping animals with his voice. Baldwin has lent his narrating talents to PETA and the Save the Manatee Club to raise awareness on variety of issues. Most recently, Baldwin gave his voice to the animals of the arctic, narrating the "Frozen Planet" series for Discovery and speaking out about the importance of preserving our arctic lands.
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PLAYING FOR THE PAWS
Caring Celeb: Miranda Lambert
Cuddly Cause: The country singer has started her own charity, MuttNation Foundation, in an effort to assist neglected pets everywhere on a road to a better life. As part of her nonprofit, Lambert holds the an annual Cause for the Paws concert, with proceeds going to MuttNation. The foundation has already donated $700,000 to animal shelters across the country.
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HIS HEART WILL GO ON
Caring Celeb: Leonardo DiCaprio
Cuddly Cause: The environment isn't Leonardo DiCaprio's only charity concern. The actor also spends big money to make sure that animals all over are getting the attention the they deserve. DiCaprio gave $1 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2010 and just joined the Animal League Defense Fund to help the animals himself. His current pet project is working to move a tiger who has been kept at a truck stop for years into a more suitable wildlife facility.
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PETS JUST WANT TO HAVE OWNERS
Caring Celeb: Cyndi Lauper
Cuddly Cause: Lauper is hip to the fact that shelter animals make perfect pets. The singer joined the North Shore Animal League as spokesperson for the organization's 12th Annual Tour for Life. Lauper talked about the importance of pet adoption throughout the tour and made stops with the NSAL to help needy animals find homes.
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OPERATION DUMBO DROP
Caring Celeb: Bob Barker
Cuddly Cause: You know Bob Barker as the long-time host of "The Price is Right" who was always urging you to have your pets spayed and neutered, but the man has other animal interests. This year, Barker spent $880,000 to ensure that three elephants were safely flown to a California sanctuary.
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GOING APE FOR ANIMAL CAUSES
Caring Celeb: Ellen DeGeneres
Cuddly Cause: Ellen often uses her show as a fun platform to spread the word about different animal issues. The host has covered everything from shelter dogs to turkey adoptions. Degeneres's current critter cause is working to put an end to medical experiments on chimpanzees. Both she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have written letters to Congress asking them to end the animal testing.
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BOND FOR THE BEACHES
Caring Celeb: Pierce Brosnan
Cuddly Cause: Brosnan has put aside his spy skills and has turned his focus to saving animals. The former James Bond actor has worked for both the National Resources Defense Council and the International Fund For Animal Welfare in an effort to protect habitats for marine animals. Brosnan has continued this work into the present, speaking out for Gray Whales who could lose their nursery at Laguna San Ignacio to a salt factory.
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SEAL BABYSITTER
Caring Celeb: Ke$ha
Cuddly Cause: Ke$ha isn't just crazy about dollar signs and music; she's also a long-time animal lover. The singer often partners with animal-rights causes and encourages her fan base to do the same. Right now, Ke$ha is asking her listeners to ban Canadian seafood in an effort to end the clubbing on baby seals.
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RICKY GETS TESTY
Caring Celeb: Ricky Gervais
Cuddly Cause: Passionate about critters since he was a child, Gervais has used his fame to help those on four paws for years. Currently, the funny man has started a global campaign to end cosmetic testing on animals. Partnered with Cruelty Free International, Gervais is working to convince governments to ban the unethical practice for good.
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DOG LOVER TO THE CORE
Caring Celeb: Mickey Rourke
Cuddly Cause: Rourke is a dedicated dog man. The actor attributes his Hollywood comeback to his now deceased pooch Loki, even thanking the chihuahua mix in his 2009 Golden Globe acceptance speech. Rourke's canine love goes beyond his own pups; the actor is a strong supporter of spay-and-neuter programs and is planning to build a shelter for the growing number of homeless dogs in Romania.
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4 Comments
Thank you for including Tony and Mr. DiCaprio in your post. It's important to keep Tony's story networked so people remain supportive and informed of the progress in his case. Latest update from The Animal Legal Defense Fund concerning Tony's cases: http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=2053 You can help show your support for Tony by signing his petitions: http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/petitions/
May 23 2012 at 12:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replypara Ivonne
May 23 2012 at 9:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyPara Ivonne
May 23 2012 at 9:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyLove him and the show now even more so with his passion for animals !
May 22 2012 at 6:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWay To Go Ian Somerhalder :)