Celebrity animal lovers turned out for the Humane Society of the United States' 25th Anniversary Genesis Awards, honoring media and individuals for their efforts in support of animal protection issues. "Sex and the City" star Kristin Davis received the Wyler Award for her efforts on behalf of orphaned African elephants and black rhinos, whose populations have been decimated by ivory poachers. "It's a cause I care very much about," said Davis, who works with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. "We're all connected to the animals on the planet and we need to take care of them." With two dogs of her own at home, she has also been getting the word out via Twitter about two women who are rescuing pets lost or abandoned in the aftermath of the disaster in Japan and trying to reunite them with their owners.

 

"My fabulous co-stars Wendie Malick and Betty White are such huge animal advocates and they've taught me so much," said Jane Leeves, of "Hot in Cleveland" before she joined them and Valerie Bertinelli as a presenter. "I have rescue animals and they're the best — they're smart and they're grateful." After the March 23 episode, "Cleveland" goes on hiatus till June, when it will return with such guest stars as Steve Lawrence, Frank Caliendo and Leeves' "Frasier" castmate John Mahoney, and she'll also meet the son she gave up, played by Michael McMillian. Next month, she'll visit relatives in England before assembling her extended family in Positano, Italy, to celebrate her 50th birthday.

 

A vegetarian who has two pet Goldendoodles, Constance Marie puts "the ending of animal cruelty very high on my priority list." She's about to play an animal: she's voicing the role of Imelda, orphanage mom and mother figure to the title character in the animated "Puss in Boots" Shrek spinoff, due out in November. She stars this June in the ABC Family series "Switched at Birth," about parents that discover that they've raised each other's daughters. The teen Marie's character thought was her own is deaf, so she has been learning sign language in real life (and teaching her own daughter, Luna, 2). "If you do it too much you get carpal tunnel syndrome," she has discovered. "I have to make sure I take breaks."

 

"The Humane Society does an incredible job of reminding people that we share the planet with other sentient beings that do not deserve the cruelty and horrific conditions that we put them in for our pleasure, profit and consumption," said Esai Morales, who follows what he calls a "flexatarian" diet "because I travel out of the country a lot and it's difficult to find healthy, organic food." He'll be seen next in the movie "Gun Hill Road," which won raves at the Sundance Film Festival, and shot a pilot for NBC called "17th Precinct," a police procedural with a mystical twist. Tricia Helfer co-stars as a necromancer. "I can touch dead people and understand what happened to them," she explained. Helfer, who eats fish but not meat or poultry and rescues and fosters animals at home, encourages others to do the same and never buy from puppy mills. "There are so many unwanted animals out there that need a home and love," she said.

 

Carrie Preston is looking into solar panels "now that we have a home that we own," said the "True Blood" actress, who shares it with husband Michael Emerson ("Lost") and a rescued poodle mix named Chumley. "I think it's important to honor the media for showcasing animal protection issues and bringing them to light," said the presenter, who's halfway through shooting the HBO series' fourth season, which premieres in June. "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that where we left off last time with my character is definitely going to continue and the conflict that my character has had about the baby being on board is definitely growing," she said. Preston spent her TV hiatus directing a comedy called "That's What She Said" with Anne Heche and Alia Shawkat. "It's about three women one day in New York City when everything goes wrong, and one of them is getting ready for a date," she described. "We'll start submitting it to festivals next month."

 

"I'm solar paneling my roof and I may sell the Porsche and get a Prius," said Ryan O'Neal, who attended as the guest of his veterinarian and became the owner of a dachshund puppy six weeks ago. Recurring as Emily Deschanel's dad on "Bones," O'Neal and daughter Tatum shot eight episodes of a reality series for the OWN network, set to prepare in June. "Put the children to bed first," he warned. Does that mean he and Tatum aren't getting along? "I'll let you tell me," he laughed.

 

There to represent his Animal Planet series "Blood Dolphins," nominated for Outstanding Reality Series, Lincoln O'Barry (not pictured) updated us on his efforts to save the cetaceans. In Japan, "The dolphin hunt ended a month earlier than normal," he said, attributing that to "pressure from the outside." Currently filming new episodes, he's been in Indonesia with dad Ric and his crew. "We found 56 dolphins that were illegally captured and spread across aquariums, and we're working with the government there to release them back to the wild."

 

On a long weekend off from shooting "Blue Bloods" in New York, Will Estes, who has three dogs (two that his family cares for in L.A. and a new puppy in New York), said he recently installed solar panels on his house. "My next project might be rain barrels or an electric car conversion," said the actor, who'll appear with Scott Glenn in the murder mystery "Magic Valley," which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.

 

An avid supporter of animal and environmental causes, Sally Pressman is getting married in September in Santa Barbara and has gone green with some of the wedding elements. Instead of paper, "Our 'save the date' was a magnet with our dog on it. All our programs and invitations will be made from seeded paper so our guests can plant them," said the "Army Wives" star. She hopes to eventually move into a big house with a yard so she can have "a slew of rescue dogs." The March 20 episode of "Wives" ended with the women about to receive the devastating news about which of their loved ones was killed in action, and that will be revealed March 27. "It's gut wrenching, that episode, but it's so very pertinent right now," Pressman said.

 

"I'm trying my best to see that they pick up the recycled trash in my building. It's piled up," said Sam Witwer, who uses refillable water bottles and only prints out documents when it's absolutely necessary. His Syfy series "Being Human," which just got picked up for a second season, said that the emotional trauma his vampire character Aidan has faced will only get worse in the remaining episodes of the season, which wraps next month. "He just gets destroyed by the end of the season. There are a lot of threats to his undeath."

 

James Cromwell has a small home and travels too much to have animals of his own, but avidly supports their welfare, and was glad to help honor "those people who carry the message for species that cannot speak for themselves." One such honoree was Tim Harrison, whose film "The Elephant in the Living Room" was named Outstanding Feature Documentary. "It's a movie about people keeping dangerous exotic animals as household pets in their homes," which, surprisingly, "is absolutely legal" in many areas.

 

Persia White, a HSUS board member and vegan who has a rescued dog and cat at home, urges others to help the environment "by not eating animals from factory farms and substituting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for hamburgers once a week. You'll save enough fossil fuel to drive your car 20 miles, enough water to shower for 20 minutes," noted White, who recycles, and buys local and organic food. "People don't realize the damage that pesticides cause. It's imperative that people learn to connect the dots between man, nature and animals. It's our ecosystem, our world and the more we're connected the more we have a healthy future." White will next be seen in "Dysfunctional Friends" as the diva girlfriend of a rich man that dies and leaves his inheritance to his friend.

 

An avid supporter of the Humane Society and Best Friends Animal Rescue, Patrick Fabian has two rescued dogs and a rescued horse at home. While the love of a good steak prevents him from going vegetarian, he's switched from pork sausage to the Morningstar Farms version. He has also stopped buying bottled soda water since his wife gave him a Soda Club, a dispenser that carbonates tap water. Fabian stars in the CMT comedy series "Working Class." "Only on television does a guy who owns a grocery store wear Armani," he said. His castmate Katie Cleary, handing out the awards in her fourth year as Genesis "trophy girl," said she has "a zoo" at home, including rescued dogs and cats. "We want to eventually have an animal rescue," said the actress, who's about to start shooting the western "Palominas."

 

The Genesis Awards will premiere on Animal Planet April 30 at 7 p.m., repeating May 1 at 9 a.m.

 

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