Celebrities Who Love Animals

Many celebrities talk about loving animals, but some take that love far beyond cute pet photos.

They adopt rescue animals. They fund shelters. They support wildlife protection. They speak out against cruelty. Some build foundations, sanctuaries, pet-care brands, or public campaigns around animal welfare.

Loving animals can mean many things: rescuing dogs, protecting wildlife, supporting farm sanctuaries, promoting vegan living, fighting trophy hunting, or simply using fame to bring attention to animals in need.

Here are celebrities whose public lives have shown a strong connection to animals.

Betty White

Betty White may be one of Hollywood’s most beloved animal advocates.

Long before celebrity activism became common, White used her fame to support animal health, wildlife research, zoos, shelters, and rescue causes. Morris Animal Foundation described her as having a lifelong love of animals and credited her with years of work to improve animal health and well-being. She also served the foundation for decades in leadership roles and sponsored more than 30 animal-health studies.

Doris Day

Doris Day was not only a film and music icon. She was also one of the earliest major Hollywood stars to make animal welfare central to her public legacy.

The Doris Day Animal Foundation says it was founded in 1978 as the Doris Day Pet Foundation, with a mission to help animals and the people who love them. The foundation continues as a grant-giving charity supporting organizations that directly care for and protect animals.

Kaley Cuoco

Kaley Cuoco’s love for animals is not a small side detail. It is part of her everyday life.

People reported that Cuoco’s ranch in Thousand Oaks has become a home for rescued animals, including dogs, horses, donkeys, chickens, goats, cows, and pigs. She has also spoken about rescuing dogs and farm animals, and she launched the pet-care brand Oh Norman!, inspired by her late dog Norman, with a portion of sales supporting animal rescue organizations.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl has spent years connecting her public platform to animal rescue.

The Jason Heigl Foundation, established in 2008 by Katherine Heigl and her mother Nancy, describes itself as a nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare and advocacy. Its mission includes rescuing, healing, and rehoming animals while fighting cruelty and pet overpopulation.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix is one of Hollywood’s most visible animal-rights advocates.

He has been publicly associated with veganism and animal activism for years. In 2020, the day after winning the Best Actor Oscar for Joker, Phoenix helped rescue a mother cow and her calf from a slaughterhouse with Los Angeles Animal Save and Farm Sanctuary. Vanity Fair reported that the animals were named Liberty and Indigo and taken to Farm Sanctuary.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais is known for sharp comedy, but his animal advocacy is one of the softer and more serious parts of his public life.

Animals Asia lists Gervais among its celebrity supporters, quoting him in support of efforts to rescue animals from captivity and fight cruelty. He has also been recognized for speaking out against trophy hunting and wildlife exploitation.

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson has been one of the most recognizable celebrity animal-rights voices for decades.

She has worked with animal-welfare campaigns, promoted plant-based living, opposed fur, and used her public image to support causes that protect animals from exploitation. Her activism became part of her celebrity identity almost as much as her television fame.

Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone’s love for animals is closely tied to her vegan lifestyle and public advocacy.

She has long spoken about plant-based living and animal welfare, and her book The Kind Diet helped bring her views on food, health, and animal compassion to a wider audience. Animal-welfare coverage has also connected her to groups such as Farm Sanctuary, PETA, Mercy For Animals, and The Humane Society.

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall was not a Hollywood celebrity in the usual sense, but she became a global public figure whose name is almost inseparable from animals.

Goodall transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most influential conservation voices. After her death in 2025, the Associated Press described her as a renowned primatologist and conservationist whose work changed public understanding of chimpanzees and inspired generations to protect nature.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is best known as an actor, but his public advocacy has long included wildlife and environmental protection.

DiCaprio has used speeches, documentaries, philanthropy, and public campaigns to support climate and conservation causes. When Jane Goodall died in 2025, he was among the celebrities who publicly remembered her influence and legacy, highlighting her role in inspiring action for the planet and its creatures.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has often been publicly connected to animal rescue and pets.

Her love for animals has shown up through her adopted dogs, pigs, horses, and other pets over the years. She has also publicly supported animal-friendly causes and plant-based living at different points in her career.

Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank has built real animal-welfare work around rescue dogs.

She created Hilaroo, a program designed to connect rescue animals with young people who could benefit from companionship, care, and healing. The idea came from the bond between Swank’s love for animals and her interest in helping at-risk youth.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has been publicly associated with rescue animals and pet adoption.

Business Insider included Bullock among celebrities who have adopted rescue animals, reflecting a wider public image of stars who choose adoption rather than buying pets.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is widely known as a dog lover.

Her rescue dogs have appeared in interviews, social media posts, and public stories over the years. Aniston adopted a dog through the rescue and publicly spoke about it, which helped bring major attention to the organization.

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson is another major star whose love for dogs has become part of his public personality.

He has shared pet stories with fans and has been connected to rescue adoption efforts. The Los Angeles Times reported that Wagmor Pets placed dogs with celebrities including Johnson and Jennifer Aniston, showing how celebrity adoptions can draw attention to small rescue organizations.

Sia

Sia has publicly supported animal causes and animal-friendly campaigns.

Animal-welfare coverage has connected her to groups including PETA and The Humane Society, and she has spoken out against animal exploitation in industries such as fashion. She has also invested in pet-food innovation aimed at reducing reliance on factory farming.

Moby

Moby has been one of the entertainment world’s most outspoken vegan animal advocates.

He has been vegan since the 1980s and has connected his music career with activism for animals, food ethics, and environmental concerns.

Ali MacGraw

Ali MacGraw has used her public voice to support animal protection causes, including Animals Asia.

Animals Asia lists MacGraw as a North American ambassador and notes her support for moon bears and the organization’s sanctuary work in Vietnam.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has long been connected to animal-friendly living, vegetarianism, and public campaigns around meat-free eating.

He has supported animal and environmental causes for decades, often connecting food choices with compassion and sustainability. McCartney is among the supporters who have helped raise awareness for animal protection.

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