Joan Fontaine’s Multi-Million-Dollar Legacy of Kindness to Animals

sistercelluloid ♦ October 23, 2015 ♦ 4 Comments

Joan Fontaine’s talent and beauty are legendary. But her kindness and grace, like the lady herself, were in a quieter key. She would take the time write back to every fan and honor any request she could, making all she wrote to feel as if they alone had captured her attention.

She also had a deep and abiding love of animals, especially dogs, whose faith and fidelity never failed her. She amply returned their devotion—and thanks to her spectacular generosity, many abused, neglected and abandoned animals have gotten a second chance at life, love and a home, which they might otherwise never have had.

The entire proceeds from Fontaine’s estate, which amounted to well over $1 million, and from the sale of her Carmel home, which sold for $2.6 million, benefited the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Monterey, California, where she adopted three of her own dogs, Kita, Fang IV and Samantha.

On what would have been her 98th birthday, and in honor of her incredible gift to animals, here’s a photo tribute to Joan with some of her own beloved companions (including Nicky, her terrier, who went just about everywhere with her):

THANK YOU, BEAUTIFUL JOAN, FOR EVERYTHING.