Farewell to Betty White, an animal’s best friend

Actress and comedian Betty White, the “first lady of television” who died Dec. 31, 2021—just 17 days short of her 100th birthday—is being remembered for a storied career in radio, film, and television spanning more than seven decades and for her offstage advocacy for animal welfare.

Best known for starring in the iconic TV series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and “The Golden Girls” from 1985-92, White garnered a new generation of fans with the 2009 romantic comedy “The Proposal” and the TV series “Hot in Cleveland,” which ran from 2010-15.

Throughout her career, White leveraged her fame to celebrate the human-animal bond and improve the lives of countless animals. She created and hosted “The Pet Set,” a TV series that aired for 39 episodes from 1971-72. The show, produced by White and her husband, the late game show host Allen Ludden, featured celebrities and their pets and included discussions about pet care and wildlife preservation.

White hosted a daily radio program, “Betty White on Animals,” and authored “Betty White’s Pet-Love: How Pets Take Care of Us,” published in 1983. From 1982-85, White served as board president of the Morris Animal Foundation. She had also been a board member for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association and the American Humane Association.

In 1987, the AVMA awarded White with the Humane Award in recognition of her compassion and advocacy for animal welfare. White, a native of Oak Park, Illinois, attended the award ceremony, held during the 124th AVMA Annual Convention that July in Chicago. Photos of White at the convention holding a cat named Clyde appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.

The star’s devotion to animals was the focus of the 2011 documentary “Betty White: Champion for Animals.” In the movie, White described her parents as “absolute animal nuts” and said she was “deeply grateful” that they instilled their passion in her. “It’s what life is all about if you ask me,” White added.

White sponsored more than 30 animal health studies for Morris Animal Foundation designed to improve the health of cats, dogs, horses, and multiple species of wildlife, including California sea otters and mountain gorillas.

One of White’s last acts of philanthropy for the foundation was to establish the Betty White Wildlife Fund, largely in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since White’s initial gift, the fund has grown and has been used as a first line of defense in critical wildlife emergencies, the foundation said in a statement.

“Betty always put the animals first,” said Dr. Rob Hilsenroth, former Morris Animal Foundation executive director and a longtime friend of the actress, in a statement.

“In the 1990s, she suggested pain management should be an area of future research and funded the first few studies,” Dr. Hilsenroth said. “Today, if a veterinarian performs an elective surgery, like a spay or neuter without using pain management, she/he could face a malpractice charge.

“You can thank Betty White for that revolutionary change in the way we practice all phases of veterinary medicine today.”