Betty White: The “Golden Girl” with a Tender Heart, Part 2 of 2

Betty received many awards during her years in show business, including seven Emmy Awards, two American Comedy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award from each awarding body.

Despite all of her show business success, Betty’s true passion was caring for animal-people. Her love for them began as a child, which she credited to her parents, who were avid animal-people lovers. Betty’s love for animal-people was evident both on and off-screen as they frequently appeared on her programs throughout her career. In 1971, she created, produced, and hosted the weekly show “The Pet Set,” where celebrities appeared together with their pets. The show also featured discussions on animal-people companion care, ecology, and wildlife preservation.

Betty’s work off-screen championing the welfare of animal-people was even more remarkable. She assisted various animal-people-related non-profit organizations through donations, fundraising, volunteer work, and the recording of public service announcements. In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its catastrophic effects on marine species, the compassionate actress established the Betty White Wildlife Fund in 2010 and became its first donor. The fund is still active and continues to support research to address existing and emerging wildlife health issues.

Throughout her life, the comedienne also supported the NGO American Humane, which champions the cause of millions of animal friends worldwide, by serving on its Board of Directors and conducting fundraising activities. Betty was behind the group’s “No Animals Were Harmed®” program to protect animal actors in entertainment and acted as a judge and presenter for the American Humane Hero Dog Awards. She chaired the organization’s “Be Kind to Animals Week®,” teaching children to have compassion and empathy for all living beings. In 2012, Betty received American Humane’s highest honor, the National Humanitarian Medal and Legacy Award, for her enduring dedication to animal-people welfare.