15 Women Who Changed The World For Animals

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate than by recognizing some of the amazing women who have made the world a better place for animals.

These women gave a voice to the voiceless animals and saved countless lives. Their work will never be forgotten and continues to inspire others.

Read on to learn more about the animal heroes of the past and present.

15 Female Animal Activists

Caroline Earle White

Caroline Earle White founded the first U.S. animal shelter in Philadelphia and The Women’s Branch of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1869. With the help of other female activists, they took in stray dogs and cats and found them loving homes. The shelter still exists today and is known as the Women’s Animal Society.

But that’s not all she did for animals…

White is also known for her helping carriage horses. She wanted to make sure the horses had water so through fundraising had 35 drinking fountains built around the city, many which are still in use today.

Frances Power Cobbe

Frances Power Cobbe used her writing skills to speak up for animals used in experiments. She wrote articles against it in newspapers and in 1875 founded the Society for the Protection of Animals Liable to Vivisection.

The organization is known today as Cruelty Free International, but the goal remains the same – to end animal experiments worldwide.

Margaret Murie

Margaret Murie, better known as the “Grandmother of the Conservation Movement”, fell in love with Alaska and played a vital role in protecting millions of acres of wilderness and wildlife.

Along with her husband, Olaus Murie, she helped in creating the 1964 Wilderness Act and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Velma Johnston

You might have heard this hero called “Wild Horse Annie”. In 1950, Velma Johnston started speaking out to help wild horses and burros which led to a ban on motorized vehicles to chase wild horses on public lands, also known as the Wild Horse Annie Act.

However, she didn’t stop there.

She wanted to help these innocent and iconic animals, so she rallied other activists and eventually their voices were heard. The overwhelming amount of letters to Congress and their relentless efforts lead to the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

Harriet Hemenway

After learning how many birds were killed for their feathers to be used in hats, Harriet Hemenway convinced her fellow socialites to boycott feathers – and it worked.

Her work paved the way for the bird conservation movement and resulted in the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Lacey Act, bird reservations in Florida, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees in Tanzania for over six decades (the longest study ever done) and learned so much about the primates, which she shared with the world.

She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to continue wildlife research and for chimpanzee protection, conservation, and environmental education.

In 1991, she opened the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees which currently care for over 100 chimpanzees.

She continues to advocate for animals and wildlife conservation while encouraging people to make a difference for all living things.

Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey is known for her extensive study on mountain gorillas in Rwanda as well as her efforts to protect the endangered species from poachers.

She established the Karisoke Research Center in 1967 and dedicated all her time to mountain gorillas until she was murdered in 1986.

Her life ended too soon but her legacy lives on.

“She is immortalized today as well through the gorilla population that still lives on, due to the work she started,” wrote the research center.

Biruté Galdikas

For more than four decades, Dr. Biruté Galdikas studied orangutans in their natural habitat and is considered the expert on the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan species.

In 1986 she founded the Orangutan Foundation International to preserve wild orangutans and their rapidly disappearing rainforest habitat.

All three primatologists (Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas) had their research projects first funded by anthropologist Louis Leakey and were started just years apart. The trio of experts are now referred to as the “Trimates”.

Sangduen “Lek” Chailert

Sangduen Chailert goes by “Lek” but is also called Thailand’s “elephant whisperer” after devoting her life to preserving elephants.

She witnessed the abuse these magnificent animals faced and decided to do something about it. In 1995 she established the Elephant Nature Foundation and a sanctuary for Asian elephants.

Leela Hazzah

Conservation biologist, Leela Hazzah, is known for her work protecting lions in East Africa while showing the Maasai people how to peacefully coexist with the kings of the jungle.

The non-profit, Lion Guardians, was started in 2007 to help protect lions in Kenya and Tanzania and educate locals on the benefits of the large predators.

Jill Robinson

Jill Robinson fights to end the bear bile trade and animal cruelty in Asia. She has saved the lives of hundreds of bears since starting Animals Asia in 1998 and opening bear sanctuaries in China and Vietnam.

She is also a voice for cat and dogs as her organization works to end the cat and dog meat trade in Asia.

Marianne H. Sanders & Elizabeth Lewyt

The world’s largest no-kill animal rescue organization, North Shore Animal League America, was founded in 1944 with the help of Marianne H. Sanders.

It all started with her and fellow animal lovers rescuing animals off the street in Long Island. Elizabeth Lewyt came along and helped raise funds and save dogs from the pound by picking them up in her “Love-A-Pet” van.

The rescue organization now offers several programs to help homeless dogs and cats find homes and the no-kill movement is spreading across the country.

Genesis Butler

Children are our future and if they are anything like Genesis Butler, the future looks bright.

When she was just 10 years old, she spoke up for animals and was one of the youngest activists to give a TEDx Talk.

Now the 15-year-old is telling the world about the negative impact of animal agriculture on the environment. The compassionate teenager started Genesis for Animals which raises funds for underfunded animal sanctuaries and rescues.

Ellen Degeneres

Ellen is a longtime animal activist and her partner, Portia de Rossi, gifted The Ellen Fund to her in 2018. The wildlife fund supports conservation efforts around the world for endangered species.

Betty White

This iconic woman dedicated her life to her two passions – acting and animals. While many remember her as Rose from Golden Girls, her greatest legacy may be her work for animals.

She volunteered with the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens and pushed for wildlife conservation while serving on the board of trustees at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association and donated to several animal rescues over the years.

There are hundreds more who are doing lifesaving work for animals that were not listed. Let’s continue what they have started and join together to help animals.

As the wise Jane Goodall said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”