Sale of Doris Day's Home to Bring Millions for Doris Day Animal Foundation

When singer, actress, and animal welfare activist Doris Day (born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff) died in May 2019 at the age of 97, she left almost all of her estate to the Doris Day Animal Foundation. Accordingly, the proceeds of the sale of Ms. Day's Monterey, CA, home -- listed recently for $7.4 million -- will go to the Foundation. The house sits on nine acres and includes a kitchen that Ms. Day dedicated to just cooking for her dogs.

Word of Ms. Day's pampering of rescued animals is legendary. As I have already noted, she cooked for dogs in a kitchen specially built for them. In an article published last week, the Wall Street Journal quoted people familiar with the situation saying that at some point, Ms. Day had as many as 50 dogs on the property. 

Ms. Day was well known for her animal rights work and fundraising for that cause. She founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) in 1978 as the Doris Day Pet Foundation with a mission to help animals and the people who love them. As a grant-giving charity, DDAF funds other 501(c)(3) organizations throughout the United States that directly care for and protect animals.

The NonProfit Times reports that Ms. Day formed the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) in 1987. The League was a national, nonprofit citizens' lobbying organization whose overriding mission was to reduce the pain and suffering of animals through legislative initiatives, education, and programs to develop and enforce statutes and regulations protecting animals. In 1995, Ms. Day and DDAL founded Spay Day USA. It is now known as World Spay Day and is under the auspices of the Humane Society of the United States.

In 2007, DDAL merged with the Humane Society of the United States, and the Doris Day Pet Foundation evolved into the Doris Day Animal Foundation, with which Ms. Day was active until her death last year. The Foundation now stands to receive millions from Ms. Day's estate.

Now that's a heart-warming story -- not only for animal lovers but for all humanity.

Vaughn E. James