Spreading the word about real issues is still helping. Just being conscious of helping animals every day will help guide you to make beneficial decisions for animals.

I'm not sure what gave me empathy for animals, but I do know that I have always loved animals since I was a very young child. I always felt a need to nurture and protect them. Perhaps I could see they needed that, and caring for them made me happy.

I always felt that with luxury came cruelty. I do my best to live a happy, prosperous life, but I don't indulge in a lot of luxury. My husband and I are very mindful of what we eat and what we wear. I don't visit places that exploit animals or buy things that are derived from cruelty. I'm sure I'm not perfect, but I make a conscious effort to do no harm and always support people, places, or things that are on the up-and-up.

Being surrounded by nature and animals always kept me grounded and happy.

It's easy to just see what you want to see in your own comfort bubble, but to really get out there and experience the suffering of animals is an awakening. I had to become proactive and take a stand.

My main message to folks who love animals is that you can do something every day to help them.

[Director] Peter Wallerstein does great work rescuing sea life along the shores of LA, and I helped raise money for sanctuaries such as Chimp Haven, who are now taking in over two hundred medical lab chimps released from government-funded medical testing labs.