Maria Milito

Maria Milito

Maria Milito Is On Air Every Day To Rock The Airwaves! Don't Forget To Check Out Maria's Podcast 'Maria's Mutts And Stuff' On iHeartRadio.Full Bio

 

Gloria Butler Says Saving A Stray Kitten Inspired Animal Advocacy Career

The Humane Society Of The United States' To The Rescue! Los Angeles Gala - Red Carpet

Gloria Butler is not only the wife and manager of heavy metal legend and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, she's also one of the world's leading animal rights advocates.

Gloria is being honored this month with Last Chance for Animals' Sam Simon Award for her support of the "Adopt, Don't Shop" campaign and her work in combating animal exploitation.

In a new interview on Maria Milito's Mutts & Stuff podcast, Gloria credits Geezer with inspiring the couple's career in animal advocacy after he rescued a stray kitten.

"He was out walking at our house in England and going through the fields and the countryside," she explains. "There was a tiny, tiny black kitten whose head was stuck in a fence. So he came home with the tiniest little thing you've ever seen, who had kitty cold and was really not well. Here we are, I think we're 18 years later, we still have him. But that's what started it."

Gloria said adopting the sickly kitten created a snowball effect where the couple began taking in "any animal that looked like they needed a home."

At one time the couple had nine cats and five dogs, but they've fostered many more animals over the years.

"It's always entertaining, if nothing else, in our house," she says.

While Gloria and Geezer are known for their careers in rock music, Gloria confirms that the couple does indeed name all of its pets after rappers. The black kitten Geezer found all those years ago is Nelly, named after the famous rapper from St. Louis, Missouri, which is also Gloria's hometown.

Thanks in part to Gloria's work, California became the first U.S. state to ban puppy mills and the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits. She adds that there's no reason anyone should be buying an animal at a store.

"The number of people that stop me walking my dogs, saying, 'Oh my god, what breed is that? It's just gorgeous!' I'm so proud to say, 'She's a mutt. I have no idea what breed she is,'" Gloria explains. "...Rescue is the best breed."

For more information on Last Chance for Animals, go here.

Listen to the full conversation in the audio player above or here via iHeartRadio.

Photo: Getty Images


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