With celebrity status comes fame, fortune and lots of opportunities. But there are those celebs who take the wealth and influence they have, and rather than using it for fashion, parties, and pleasure, use it to invest in more worthwhile causes.
This is a list of celebs who have selflessly put aside endless resources to save the animals of the planet- we salute them!
Khloe Kardashian
Instagram/ Khloe Kardashian
This is one Kardashian with a heart as big as her other assets… Khloe summoned her huge Twitter following to text “tigers” to 20222 which made a $10 donation to the World Wildlife Fund- more than $6000 was raised in a day! The Kardashian sister is also a proud PETA member and posed for the nude anti-fur ad back in 2008.
Miranda Kerr
Instagram/ Miranda Kerr
Wow, this is one Victoria Secret Angel who seems like an actual angel! Not only did she recently donated a hefty $100,000 to an elephant hospital in Thailand, but she also runs her own vegan/ cruelty-free skincare line!
Don't stop petting yet, there's more...
Miranda Lambert
Instagram/ Miranda Lambert
The country singer along with her mother founded MuttNation, a non-profit which fights against dog homelessness and animal cruelty. They have expanded over the years and in 2014 they opened a five-acre animal sanctuary in Oklahoma.
Kesha
Instagram/ Kesha
This eclectic singer is so devoted to animal rights that she was the Humane Society’s first Global Ambassador. She is known to prioritize the fight for the rights of seals, lions, and sharks and can be heard ranting about the necessity of cruelty-free cosmetics. You go Kesha!
Maisie Williams
Instagram/ Maisie Williams
The Game of Thrones starlet uses her newly found fame and fortune to constantly take a stand for animals. She recently joined a massive London protest against dolphin hunting and has likened the dolphin hunts to a human watching their entire family being butchered.
Sophia Bush
Instagram/ Sophia Bush
The One Tree Hill alumna has rescued multiple pit bulls and has always been an advocate for pet adoption in the press. She often uses her social media influence to support PETA and other animal charities.
Ice T and Coco
Instagram/ Ice T
These reality co-stars may not look the part, but they are both huge animal lovers who provide a large amount of support for animals in shelters. As well as being proud parents of an English bulldog, Spartacus, they also donate time and money to New Jersey’s Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.
Kristen Bell
Instagram/ Kristen Bell
The blonde beauty who acts in When in Rome and Veronica Mars is also on our list of animal lovers. In 2009 she was awarded a Humane Award by the Helen Woodward Animal Center for her advocacy for orphan animals.
She also starred alongside Drew Barrymore in the film Big Miracle about an Alaskan campaign to help a family of trapped whales.
Ryan Gosling
Ryan not only cares about his looks (to be truthful, it’s us who care about his looks) he also cares about cows. He has pledged support to PETA, writing a letter on their behalf to the National Milk Producers Federation. He asked them to help ban the cruel de-horning practice used on cattle.
The letter was posted on E! News, and here is a part of it: "De-horning is one of the most painful things done to cows on dairy farms... There is absolutely no reason - and no excuse - for the cruel, unnecessary practice of de-horning to continue. I respectfully urge the National Milk Producers Federation to take the lead in stopping this barbaric practice..."
Angelina Jolie
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Back in her “I’m married to Brad Pitt” days, Angelina Jolie and Pitt decided to donate $2 million to the Namibian Animal Sanctuary. It was where they spent their family Christmas vacation.
The donation to the Naankuse Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary was made in the name of their daughter Shiloh, who was born in Namibia.
Jolie said to the Associated Press: "We want her to be very involved and grow up with the understanding of her country of birth."
Joaquin Phoenix
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We loved to hate Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator, but its hard not to appreciate this actor for his amazing efforts in saving animals. “It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal,” claims the actor who is a long-time vegan and generously supports many of PETA’s campaigns.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Instagram/ Leonardo Dicaprio
He may have a weakness for beautiful women, but the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio also has a weakness for more important causes in life, like understanding the relationship between humans and animals.
Recently he attended an event which raised money for the Jane Good Institute, an institute wish researches the behavior of chimpanzees and established community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa. Here he is pictured with Jane Good at her event.
Ricky Gervais
Instagram/ Ricky Gervais
The funny guy takes his charity very seriously. Gervais’s world tour raised a grand total of $420,000 for animal and cancer charities due to the profits he made on the platinum ticket sales to his show. He stated, “It’s such a perfect scheme as I can donate hundreds of thousands of pounds to worthy causes close to my heart”.
Gisele Bündchen
Instagram/ Gisele Bundchen
When President of the US Donald Trump lifted the ban on importing elephant kill trophies, the beautiful Bundchen was one of the first to speak out, “Nothing justifies killing harmless animals to use its parts only as material goods, decoration or even worse as a trophy to satisfy someone’s ego or pride,” the supermodel expressed on her Instagram feed.
Ian Somerhalder
Instagram/ Ian Somerhalder
So much more than a pretty face and talented actor, when it comes to animals Somerhalder means business. He runs the Ian Somerhalder Foundation which raises money to support no-kill pet shelters.
He has stated his strong opinion “Animal cruelty is one of the most unfortunate and barbaric demonstrations of human beings manipulating ill-conceived notions of ‘power’ over other species.”
Diane Warren
Instagram/ Diane Warren
Grammy winner Diane Warren who is written nine number-one hits used her best talent to help those who cannot help themselves. She wrote a letter to military leaders at 17 bases across the USA asking them to end traumatic training drills on live animals.
The songwriter also donated her track from Marshall “Stand Up for Something” to PETA’s campaign, talk about using your talent for the good,
Hayden Panettiere
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Hayden Panettiere knows how to work hands-on for a good cause. The stunning actress joined a group of activists in Japan in 2007 to protest annual slaughtering of dolphins. Due to the publicity she brought, the event appeared in the documentary The Cove.
Katherine Heigl
Instagram/ Katherine Heigl
She is not just one of those actresses who vocally supports PETA, Heigl and her mother Nancy founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, an organization which works to "Eliminate the needless suffering inflicted on animals by human cruelty, indifference, and ignorance.”
Ellen DeGeneres
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Another reason to love the quirky show host- DeGeneres has been a vegan since 2008 and supports animal rights organizations such as The Humane Society, The Gentle Barn, and Best Friends Animal Society.
Lily Tomlin
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This Tony-winning, Academy Award-nominated actress is as passionate about animal advocacy as she is about her art. In March of this year, she headlined the star-studded comedy night for animal rights titled "Wait Wait…Don’t Kill Me 2!” the event was to raise money for non-profit Voice for the Animals Foundation (VFTA).
Edie Falco
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The prestigious actress and vegan advocate Eddie Falco has always been vocal about her stance on animal rights. On March 14th she joined PETA President Ingrid Newkirk to launch her global speaking tour.
Betty White
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Who doesn’t love the adorable Betty White who seems to get better with age. Beside from delighting us with her acting, Betty provides an overly generous amount to numerous animal organizations.
She also serves as an administrator and co-chair on the board of trustees for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association and is quoted as saying that, “You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal.”
Stella McCartney
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Like her parents, Linda and Paul McCartney, the fashionista is a lifelong vegetarian and takes animal rights incredibly seriously. She even incorporates her beliefs into her business in fashion and has been designing fur and leather-free since she showed her collection in 2001.
Anjelica Huston
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Oscar winner Anjelica Huston does not take animal suffering lightly. In January 2018, the actress took part in an event where she donated her furs and cut them into bedding for orphan wildlife. Speaking about this decision she explained “These coats were given to me decades ago when I had no idea how animals suffered in the fur trade,”
Nina Dobrev
Instagram/Nina Dobrev
Like her co-star and former romance Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev is another Vampire Diaries star who has a passion for animal life. in January 2018, Oceana, an ocean conservation group, announced Dobrev as their newest ambassador! Dobrev claimed “I am thrilled to join up with Oceana and help fight for healthy oceans,”
Miley Cyrus
Instagram/ Miley Cyrus
Cyrus is a known animal lover (you can tell that by the number of selfies she takes with her furry friends) in December 2017, she was named the Best Voice for Animals for the second year in a row thanks to her tireless promotion of vegan eating and animal issues on her social media accounts.
Mariah Carey
Instagram/ Mariah Carey
Carey gave the gift of animal kindness to the world for Christmas 2017- she produced, narrated and provided music for All I Want for Christmas is You, a film that tells the story of a young girl and homeless mutt.
Explaining their choice to award Carey the Angel for Animals Award, senior vice president of PETA claimed “Her holiday film reminds us all that caring for an animal is a responsibility, not just a fantasy
Michael Kors
The legendary designer, Michael Kors, has jumped on the animal supporter bandwagon- in 2017 the business and fashion mogul announced that his global fashion group will officially end its fur use!
Jack Johnson
Instagram/ Jack Johnson
Okay, so we had a hint that this guy was into animal rights when he sang about banana pancakes and other vegan delights, but Johnson has proved himself again and again. He is involved in at least half a dozen organizations who are working to promote a plastic-free lifestyle and raise awareness for the planet’s marine species.
Pamela Anderson
Instagram/ Pamela Anderson
Maybe working on the set of Baywatch all these years made her feel closer to ocean and animal life, but Pamela Anderson sure knows how to make a point for animal rights. For her 2017 Christmas shopping, the honorary PETA member sent Kim Kardashian a one-of-a-kind “eco-fur” coat which she had custom-designed! Could she be sending Kimmy K a hint?
Tommy Lee
Instagram/ Timmy Lee
The Rock Icon had some serious things to say about the cruel Ozark ritual which includes dropping live turkeys from a plane as “entertainment” at the Turkey Trot festival. Lee sent a letter urging the mayor of Yellville, Arkansas to out an end to this cruel trend immediately. We could agree more!
Matt Damon
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The gorgeous and talented actor is widely known for his animal rights work. He is the co-founder of Water.org and is highly involved in raising awareness for water scarcity around the world and has been featured in the Showtime series Years Living Dangerously which chronicles the effects of climate change.
Sarah McLachlan
Instagram/ Sarah McLachlan
She uses her craft for the sake of animal rights, and it is beautiful to see. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan is a spokeswoman for animals who have no voice and even lent her most popular song “Angel” to the television ad which encourages viewers to make donations to save animals lives- so far, her appeal has raised an astonishing $30 million!
Simon Cowell
Instagram/ Simon Cowell
He may be the ultimate “mean” guy on American Idol, but in real life, Cowell has a heart of gold, especially when it comes to his furry friends! Cowell is always speaking out against animal cruelty and has used his powerful name in Hollywood to put an end to dolphin hunting.
Melanie C
Instagram/ Melanie C
This Spice Girl certainly gets spicy when it comes to the treatment of animals, Melanie C has lent her voice to many animal-loving organizations such as Party for Animals Worldwide, Animal Advocates Alliance, Be Cruelty-Free Campaign for the Humane Society International, and many others over the years
Charlize Theron
Instagram/ Charlize Theron
The South African born beauty is a fighter for those who have no voice themselves, Theron, who has a reputation for being the bad girl on screen has a soft spot when it comes to animals which may have come from growing up surrounded by wildlife on her South African farm.
She has posed for the cover of Animal Fair, supports animal welfare issues and has constantly been vocal about her love for her animal companions on many occasions. She is also vehemently anti-fur.
Iggy Pop
Instagram/ Iggy Pop
Another Rock Icon who uses his influence for the sake of animal rights is Iggy Pop. In November 2017 it came to light that he sent a letter on PETA’s behalf to Yale University President Peter Salovey which called on him to put an end to the chronic-stress experiments on wild songbirds.
The Rockstar was not afraid to voice his opinion and called the experiment “wasteful, useless and unspeakably cruel”.
Josh Duhamel
Instagram/ Josh Duhummel
It is hard to believe someone this gorgeous can be equally as kind! On October 2017, Duhamel was awarded the 2017 Wildlife Champion Award for his dedication to advocating for WildAid. The actor has filmed several PSA’s for the organization and is constantly using his influence on social media to spread awareness of illegal wildlife trade.
Matthew McConaughey
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The actor with the chiseled face and Southern drawl has a heart as golden as his hair. In 2005, Oprah sent him and a camera crew to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans where he teamed up with a doctor and saved more than 50 stranded animals!
Noah Cyrus
Instagram/ Noah Cyrus
It seems Miley’s baby sis doesn’t just take after her with her brilliant singing and acting abilities, but also her animal-loving ways. In 2017 she appeared in an ad for PETA which aimed to put pressure on parks that hold seaside sanctuaries.
Cyrus had a thing or two to say about why the ad against animals in captivity meant so much to her explain, “It’s like living in your bedroom for your entire life and never being able to go outside.”
Olivia Munn
Instagram/ Olivia Munn
Munn is yet another stunning actress who uses her celeb status for good cause. She teamed up with PETA to create a video exposing what exactly goes on at Chinese fur farms. She has also been vocal about her disapproval of circuses who use animals for entertainment stating, “They’re in these crates all day long and then they’re getting shocked and beat just so they can get up and dance around on a ball.”
Paul McCartney
Instagram/ Paul McCartney
The iconic Beatles musician has always been intimately involved with causes that aim to end animal abuse. In October 2017 it came out that McCartney sent a letter on behalf of PETA to Patterson Veterinary Supply to make good on their promise to save the 150 Greyhounds who were suffering in dire conditions at The Pet Blood Bank. We hope they took his words to heart!
Tim Gunn
Instagram/ Tim Gunn
He is Project Runway’s biggest personality with the biggest heart and was named PETA’s Man of the Year in 2017. He recently narrated a video about how animals are slaughtered for their fur.
He claimed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times “There’s no reason to kill animals for fur. Wearing fur is like wearing a big sign reading, ‘I’m in favor of inflicting cruelty and pain on animals as a fashion statement.'” Which is a big deal coming from Mr. Fashion himself!
Gillian Anderson
Instagram/ Gillian Anderson
Not only has she sent multiple letters to politicians such as Canada’s Justin Trudeau and European politicians asking to pass legislation to improve living conditions for animals experimented on in laboratories, but actress Gillian Anderson has also narrated a video which exposes the cruelty on rabbit fur farms.
Casey Affleck
Instagram/ Casey Affleck
“ When people ask me why I don’t eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they are unhealthy, and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry.'”- these are the powerful words of actor and director Casey Affleck who has done everything in his power to improve the lives of animals.
He has created videos against animal abuse in circuses as well as shared his reasons for sticking to a vegan diet to the public.
Patrick Stewart
Instagram/ Patrick Stewart
After actor Patrick Stewart fostered a pit bull, he was inspired to speak out against dog fighting, a cause he has constantly campaigned for, partnering up with the ASPCA on its “get tough” campaign against the cruel sport.
Jonathan Safran Foer
The bestselling author not only gave up eating meat, but he even wrote a book on it! And he is not ashamed of stating exactly how he feels. He wrote in the New York Times that “eating factory-farmed animals — which is to say virtually every piece of meat sold in supermarkets and prepared in restaurants — is almost certainly the single worst thing that humans do to the environment.”
Nick Cannon
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Rapper and actor Nick Cannon is amongst the most vocal of celebrities who have spoken out against SeaWorld. After seeing Blackfish, a documentary that captures the cruelty of captivated sea animals, he resolved never to visit SeaWorld or any attraction like it.
Jon Stewart
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Once he retired from TV Jon Stewart was on to bigger and better things, like using his time to promote animal rights, he and his wife Tracey even transformed there huge New Jersey Property into a farm sanctuary where they took in animals such as an abandoned horse that had been shot 100 times with paintballs!
Howard Stern
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The bold and often crass Howard Stern has a huge heart for animals. He has fostered over 50 cats with his wife who heads up the North Shore Animal Rescue League for two decades! He has also become vegetarian in recent years.
Peter Dinklage
Instagram/ Peter Dinklage
Yet smother Game of Thrones cast member who fights bigger battles in the real world than on screen- Dinklage is full on fighting for the rights of animals. A long-time vegetarian, he has been a national sponsor for Farm Sanctuary Annual Walk for Animals.
Charlotte Ross
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A hottie with a heart! Charlotte Ross was awarded the Animal Advocate of the Year award from the Humane Society for her work advocating for laboratory chimpanzees. She has also been a spokesperson for Operation Blankets of Love which provides blankets and other necessities to shelters in need.
Emmylou Harris
Her folk singing career has lasted an astonishing four decades, and she is equally as committed to helping as many animals as she can. This singer gives back in a very personal way and has her very own animal shelter called Bonaparte’s retreat which rescues dogs from euthanasia.
Cher
Instagram/Cher
Cher is praised for her incredible voice, but the singer is also incredibly admirable for her strength and perseverance when it comes to fighting for wildlife justice. Cher recently offered to fundraise for the male Asian elephant's transfer for Marghzar Zoo in Islamabad to safety at The Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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One of the most accomplished actors, bodybuilders, and governors of our time, Schwarzenegger used his platform for the benefit of the animals on pour planet.
He often shares his experiences in wildlife, like after his visit to South Africa in 2017 he wrote “I guarantee if you ever looked into their eyes, you would ask ‘Who the hell would kill this gorgeous creature for ivory?’”
Hulk Hogan
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The famous wrestler was recruited by his beautiful daughter, Brook, who is a strong animal advocate. The two took a stand together and joined KoreanDogs.org in 2017 to speak out against the dog and cat consumption in South Korea.
Bradley Cooper
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Cooper is not just a Hollywood Hottie, he is also an animal activist that had adopted multiple animals in need and supports animal rights groups. “I have two beautiful dogs … I cherish. Samson is a 14-year-old German shorthair pointer and Charlotte is a 6 or 7-year-old Chow Retriever mix. They are both rescue dogs and they are the best”- swoon!
Holly Madison
Instagram/ Holy Madison
The former Playboy Mansion model, Holly Madison takes her animal activism seriously. She is intimately involved with PETA and was amongst the few models who bared it all for the campaign “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur”
Pink
Instagram/ Pink
We all love Pink- a real life superwoman she is an iconic singer, mother, and animal rights activist! Pink has in fact challenged the Queen of England not once, but twice to stop wearing fur!
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco not only supports PETA and mother animal rights organizations, but she is personally involved and has adopted multiple dogs from animal shelters. About the way many treat animals she has stated "It makes me sick, They act like dogs are trash. They act like dogs are a water bottle that you just throw away."
Woody Harrelson
