Bestselling author Belva Plain spins tales of love and romance for readers nationwide, but her own heart flutters at the sight of another kind of spinning tail – the one attached to Andy, a small terrier mix who she recently adopted from a local shelter. Dogs have always been a huge part of her life, and she never wants to be without one. "I can't imagine a family without a dog," says Belva. "They make a family complete."  

Her love for animals extends far beyond dogs, however. At 90 years old, Belva expresses her concern for animals raised for food.  "We aren't going to stop people from eating meat, but the least we can do is let farm animals live so they aren't suffering and then make their deaths quick and painless," says Belva, who lives in New Jersey.  She recalls caring for animals on her parents' farm as a child, and when she compares how animals were raised then to how they are raised now, it upsets her.

"The HSUS speaks for the animals. From animals, we get love, companionship, beauty and more. They have as much right in the universe as we have or they wouldn't be here," says Belva.  She is grateful that The HSUS tries to teach people to live in harmony with animals, and has supported us with generous cash gifts during her long membership.

With Andy by her side, Belva continues to write books, as she's wanted to do since she was a small girl. As a child, she took piano lessons, but didn't have the musical gift. "Some children are born to play music and some are born to write," says Belva. "I'd like to think that we were all born to help care for the animals in this world."