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 If asked to name the most famous animal lover and animal activist in America, it would not be surprising if the answer would be Doris Day. Doris Day has been a champion of animal rights even before that was in fashion. She may not have been the first to take up animal causes, but she sure was the most famous one.

Often when we here anything about Doris Day these days it is related to her animal causes. In the aftermath of the Katrina disaster Doris Day and the staff of her organization, with the help of other animal groups and volunteers, rescued over a hundred abandoned dogs and cats.  

 Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) Spay Day USA has been responsible for a landmark one million spay/neuters since the beginning of the program, helping to overcome the tragedy of euthanizing millions of unwanted pets every year. DDAF is also at the forefront of the battle to protect great apes from exploitation in the entertainment industry through special education campaigns such as the Chimpanzee Collaboratory, and DDAF’s Beyond Violence program travels across the country conducting seminars for police departments, social workers, prosecutors and other social services about the importance of treating animal abuse crimes seriously.

DDAF Programs

Spay Day USA: America’s preeminent spay/neuter action campaign. Spay Day USA participants have altered over a million animals since the campaign’s inception in 1995.

Beyond Violence: The Human-Animal Connection Educates judges, prosecutors, mental health providers, social workers, advocates for domestic violence victims, and other professionals about the connection between animal abuse and violence toward humans.

Animal Guardian magazine: A joint publication of the Doris Day Animal Foundation and the Doris Day Animal League. Free with your membership.

Comics for Compassion: Employing comic books to teach children the heroism in standing up for an ethic of empathy and compassion.

 

 The Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), established in 1987, is a national lobbying organization which works on legislation relating to animal welfare issues at the local, state and federal levels. DDAL has been credited with landmark events such as the 1998 California law making counseling mandatory for people convicted of animal abuse, 1999’s law banning ‘Crush Videos,’ the Dog and Cat Protection Act, signed into law in 2000, which bans the importation of products containing cat or dog fur, and the 2003 Exotic Pet Protection Act banning the interstate commerce of species of wild cats bound for the exotic pet trade.”

Here are some of DDAL’s successes during the last session of Congress:
Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004
Signed into law by President George W. Bush July 2, 2004 (P.L. 108-266). Summary: To assist in the conservation of marine turtles and the nesting habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries. Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) & Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT).

Exotic Pet Protection Act
Signed into law by President George W. Bush December 19, 2003 (P.L. 108-191). Summary: Bans the interstate commerce of certain species of large wild cats bound for the exotic pet trade. Includes lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, cougars and jaguars. Sponsors: Reps. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and George Miller (R-CA), & Sens. James Jeffords (I-VT) and John Ensign (R-NV).

American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
Attracted 228 cosponsors in the House, more than half the chamber’s members, and 11 cosponsors in the Senate.

Antifreeze Safety Act
Attracted 133 cosponsors in the House, an incredible amount for a bill’s first introduction.

FBI “Animal Cruelty” Language
Congress directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the incidence of “animal cruelty” crimes across the country.

EPA “Animal Alternatives” Language
Congress directed the Environmental Protection Agency to spend a portion of its budget on validation of non-animal tests. This effort will help spare animal lives in the future.

ICCVAM Language
Congress directed a funding increase for ICCVAM [Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods] so that it may continue recommending non-animal test methods to federal agencies.
Doris Day Animal League :: http://www.ddal.org/

“Over ten years old, the Doris Day Animal League is one of the largest and most-influential animal rights organizations in the United States. The Doris Day Animal League’s influence has been felt in the United States Congress, in all 50 states, in cities and in communities throughout the country … and around the world. The issues are many. The common denominator is that DDAL works to protect animals and the people who love them.” The site includes legislative updates, online publications, animal advocacy activities, and links to related sites.

Of the Doris Day legacy this may prove to be the most enduring, as the DDAL, through very savy political lobbying, is changing laws pertaining to domestic and wild animal rights in the US and beyond.