One of the worlds biggest stars, singer and Hollywood superstar Doris Day is being heralded for her animal rights activism which was way ahead of her time, after the singer died aged 97 yesterday (May 13).

Day is best known for a relentless career which saw her release 650 songs and 40 films, but she dedicated her time away from the spotlight to helping unfortunate animals.

“I’ve never met an animal I didn’t like, and I can’t say the same thing about people,” Day is often quoted as remarking, and she backed up her words with action.

In the US she was known for fostering and rehoming hundreds of needy animals, leading to her being dubbed The Dog Catcher of Beverly Hills.

She went on to found The Doris Day Animal Foundation which carried out vital rescue work – saving animal lives by funding spaying, neutering, animal welfare education in schools and food and veterinary care for senior citizens’ pets.

Day founded World Spay Day to encourage owners to spay their pets to reduce the number of pets being euthanized in shelters.

She also worked to shut down puppy mills, supported a ban on the slaughter of wild horses and called for pet-friendly hotels.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Day’s organisation airlifted stranded pets to safety.

Her dedication to animals even spread into her glittering acting career. When she was starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much in Morocco in 1956 Day couldn’t draw her attention away from the starving goats, lambs, horses, cows, dogs, cats and burros. She refused to carry on filming until a feeding station was set up to save the animals.

Tributes to the animal lover poured in on social media.

What do you think of Doris Day’s animal welfare record? Tell us in the comments below!