Doris Day remembered for unending devotion to animal welfare
In the wake of Doris Day’s death, the legendary actress and singer was remembered for decades-long animal activism.
Though the “Que Será, Será” singer made a name for herself with her blonde hair and wholesome on-screen persona, she spent decades devoting herself to the betterment of animal welfare.
While filming Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” Day advocated for the animals on and around the set to receive better treatment, according to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). During this time, the actress made a point to feed emaciated animals nearby.
Day spearheaded more formal efforts, beginning in 1971 when she co-founded Actors and Others for Animals.
By 1978, she founded the Doris Day Pet Foundation, now known as the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF), with the mission “to help animals and the people who love them.”
When Day, also known as “The Dog Catcher of Beverly Hills,” first founded the organization, she sought to find homes for animals and often ended up fostering them herself, “rescuing hundreds of animals over the years,” according to DDAF.
Day’s efforts aside, she wanted to get to the root of the pet overpopulation. In doing so, Day and her late son Terry Melcher founded the complementary organization, the Doris Day Animal League in 1987. DDAL originated what is now known as World Spay Day in 1995 before merging with HSUS in 2007 in order to gain more clout in Washington.
Day and Melcher also co-owned the pet-friendly California hotel, Cypress Inn.
In 2007, Day created the annual “Doris Day and Terry Melcher Scholarship,” at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Founded in honor of Day’s late son, the scholarship was founded to honor “outstanding veterinary students working to improve the welfare of homeless animals."
Day remains the namesake of the Doris Day Equine Center at Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, funded by a grant from DDAF. The center, founded in 2011, focuses its efforts on supporting “horses with past traumatic experiences.”
Day died of pneumonia on May 13, at the age of 97.
