DORIS DAY FORUM

[Tanja]

Hallo an alle Doris Day Buddies,

es gibt ein neues Interview (2007) von Doris Day:

In January 2007, Doris Day spoke with The HSUS's Because You Care about her lifelong interest in and efforts for animals.

BYC: Tell us about your own pets.

DD: I have the world's best pets, just like everyone else does. Each is special and loved, and the number varies as I help as many as I can.

BYC: What do they say when they communicate with you?

DD: They say, "Thank you" and "You're welcome." They define love.

BYC: Do you have any current animal-related hobbies?

DD: Hobbies? Animal welfare work has been my full-time job for decades. In fact, I sometimes think I should return to acting and singing just to get some down time.

BYC: How about a favorite animal-focused movie or TV program?

DD: I love all the shows that encourage people to love, appreciate and help animals. There are more programs about animals than ever, and that pleases me.

BYC: Was there a special pet in your childhood who brought you more in tune with animals?

DD: I had many, but the first was a little dog, Tiny, who was my constant companion when I broke my leg and could not get around too much.

BYC: How did animal issues become so important to you? Was there a seminal event in your childhood or early adulthood?

DD: I think everything in my life has led to my animal welfare work. Every animal I meet, every person who tells me about his or her own experiences with their animals. The only negative is how overwhelming the work can be, but I wouldn't give up a moment of this work.

BYC: What took place to make you feel that you must make animal issues one of the main endeavors of your life? Was that also the same motivation for establishing the DDAL – or did your desire to create DDAL come about later?

DD: I had been involved in animal welfare groups, but DDAL presented an opportunity to actually create and pass legislation aimed at issues which really matter to so many people. From local spaying and neutering ordinances, to legislation against puppy mills, to standards to prevent animals from being tested for the sake of a new cosmetic, we could – and did – make a difference.

BYC: Are there other Hollywood luminaries with whom you meet regularly who share with you their love of animals?

DD: I'm not in Hollywood, but I keep in touch with a lot of people who work as tirelessly as I do to help the animals. I'm encouraged by some of the younger celebrities who devote time and money to important animal causes and public awareness.

BYC: Can you tell us anything about any of your famous co-stars and their love of pets and/or other animals? Did you ever have conversations with them on animal issues?

DD: Jimmy Stewart was known for his film Harvey and he really was a great friend to animals. He was a great help to us when we were working to eliminate the Draize Rabbit Eye Test. The press loved that "Harvey's friend" was helping rabbits, and he helped us a lot. I don't reveal much about Rock Hudson's last days, but I can say that a couple of us did make sure that his dogs – whom he loved so much – were cared for during his illness. They were a great comfort to him until the very end.

BYC: How do you respond to people who say too much money is lavished on animals and that organizations should be spending their time solving people problems?

DD: I can cite statistics about how much money communities could use to help people if they spend money more wisely on animal-related issues. One of the best examples is that for every dollar spent on spaying and neutering now, $17 is saved and can be used for other community projects. We work with the animals and the people who love them.

BYC: Do you ever personally contact news organizations to comment on the way they're covered an animal story?

DD: I've been known to do that….

BYC: Can you comment on the entertainment industry's power to influence people, either positively or negatively, on animal issues?

DD: There is a tremendous amount of attention focused on celebrities, and many entertainment, sports, political and other personalities have used the opportunities to communicate to help the animals.

BYC: If you were to write a screenplay for an animal-focused movie or program, what would the general story be like?

DD: It is not going to happen.

BYC: Please share a thought about DDAL merging with The HSUS and the Fund for Animals.

DD: It's very exciting for us. We accomplished a great deal over the years, but there's nothing like The HSUS and its resources. Our staff is so pleased to work with the experts at The HSUS, and we've already seen tremendous results of the merging of capabilities and experience.

BYC: Any special message you'd like to share with older folks who may want to lobby their legislators on animal issues or become more active in helping animals?

DD: Older, younger, anyone can help. We've learned that our legislators listen, and people with passionate and thoughtful concerns make a difference every day. We've had constituents initiate legislation, lobby for it, organize meetings and events, and, of course, call, mail, e-mail and visit legislators to express their views. It's really great to see how much difference that individuals can make.

The Doris Day Animal League continues to champion the same issues prior to its combination with HSUS.


Grüße

Doris Day Buddy
Tanja

[Tanja]

Hallo an alle,

Doris Day hat vor einigen Tagen für ihre Tierschutzorganisation eine audio Nachricht aufgenommen.

http://www.hsus.org/video_clips/doris_d ... _spay.html

Doris hört sich richtig gut an!

Liebe Grüße

Doris Day Buddy
Tanja