We’re celebrating Activist Appreciation Month with special activist feature stories! This week, we hear from our own activist extraordinaire Doll Stanley, who founded Hope Animal Sanctuary and continues to defend animals as our Justice for Animals Campaign Director. For almost a quarter century, Doll has devoted her life to helping animals. Read her inspirational tale of triumph and devotion below!

In August of 1983, I heard that celebrity Bob Barker was to speak at the Mobilization for Animals rally at the University of California in Davis (UCD).  At the time, my closest friends were horse people and most of our group participated in competitions and rodeos. My best friend and my fella were both senior team ropers. My fella carried the scares and injuries from the other events he had once participated in. Staying at the ranch my best friend owned opened my eyes. I finally realized why my mom and dad had not taken my brother and me to the rodeo that was held just blocks from my great aunt’s home.

After hearing Bob Barker, Jamie Lee Curtis, and other noted stars speak, I became a vegetarian. That night, I was met with fireworks at the dinner table when I passed on eating the meat being served. Once I explained my new conviction, I was actually respected. The few “friends” who gave me a tough time either melted through my kindness or were chewed alive by my best friend, the ranch owner. My mom even protected me when my great aunt tried to sneak meat into my holiday food!

I jumped into the animal rights movement with both feet. I connected with other activists and began protesting rodeos, including those featuring my rodeo friends. If I managed to get your phone number, you went on my activist list, which grew to over 100 people in no time. I organized and held vigils, protests, and single person presentations for the media. 

The University of California system was fraught with animal research for grant money and notoriety. I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Elliot Katz at a planning meeting for Californians for Responsible Research (CFRR), which ultimately became In Defense of Animals. Several activists, including Dr. Katz and I, formed the Bay Area Direct Action Coalition. Activism took off in the Bay Area and throughout California. We held protests and research labs, fur stores, slaughterhouses, circuses, and more. I’ll leave the gripping story behind many of our events to your imagination. Let’s just say there was no area of animal abuse that I didn’t stand against!

I can share that I spent 72 hours in some form of restraint device abstaining from food and water in front of whichever research facility was the target of our annual World Week for Animals in Laboratories. The first fast was at University of California in Berkeley (UCB). The coverage staggered me. One person fasting in front of a university got international media. People visited me on site to support my efforts, which lifted my spirit!

Sadly, I fell into a deep depression following the event because it hadn’t done a thing to stop the abuse taking place right on the other side of the wall. I truly believed that people would stop hurting animals and pass laws to stop the abuse. It simply blew me away that people couldn’t see what I did, or weren’t willing to take the time and effort to change the perception and treatment of my fellow animals. I was a teamster at the time so that wasn’t so easy on me either. It was a good thing that I was great at my job.

Well, I looked in the mirror as I always had when I needed a good talking to. I said, “Hey stupid, you are not suffering, the animals are. Get off your pity party and get to work.” I decided that if I was the only person doing anything, if I were standing on the beach with a tidal wave rushing in and there was one animal on that beach, I’d do what I could to save him or her. I would want to be saved. The poor treatment I’d received in life, and the many times my will had been scoffed, had given me deep empathy.

Dr. Katz asked me to join CFRR in Nov. of ’89. Once I did, there was no turning back. As our membership grew, we shared interests beyond ending the UC system’s imprisonment and torture of animals, and CFRR became In Defense of Animals.

In February of ’93, I hoped on a plane (changing from my pajamas at the airport) and flew to investigate a case in Mississippi where the USDA Class B licensed animal dealer was believed to be dealing in stolen dogs. I expected to be there for two weeks. This month, I gave myself an indulgence day for my 24th year here.

Turns out there were two Mississippi animal dealers volunteering at animal control, buying dogs at trade and sell days and at auctions. The wildness of my childhood days in the Sierras readied me for the necessary undercover work. A precious woman welcomed me into her home, gave me access to her business truck and phone, and even joined helped with the investigation.

We nailed ‘em! In August of ’93, Connie Chung’s “Eye to Eye” TV crew used all my undercover footage, photos, notes, and our home office team’s research to expose the villains. “Eye to Eye” gave us zero credit, but the dealer’s licenses were pulled. Another animal dealer that I investigated, “Working Dogs Production,” was later shut down by a Last Chance for Animals undercover agent. 

During the two weeks that turned into months, I began working cruelty cases for groups who didn’t have a cruelty investigator. I turned my home and property into a small sanctuary with animals from some of the cases. Then In Defense of Animals bought my neighbor's property and Hope Animal Sanctuary (HAS) was founded. In the 23 years at HAS, I literally worked hundreds of cases included the Catherine Twiss case involving  lions, stallions , tigers, a puma, a camel, a liger, , and a number of dogs. With the help of a handful of friends, we nailed pet shop supplier James Bates, of Poplarville, taking 683 living, dying, and dead animals from his warehouse. We met puppymills head-on! I charged one puppy exploiter with 167 counts of cruelty. We even rescued a starving pig in freezing weather!

The reality is, if you have a heart and are willing to get it bruised and broken, you will also get to laugh with the myriad of fellow beings who cannot, will not, be freed without you. I don’t know much, but I know right from wrong. I believe in what I do. Luckily, I’ve made friends who helped me along the way. I am grateful to work for an amazing organization like In Defense of Animals.