My parents were very permissive when it came to animals. As long as we earned the money to buy them and built whatever structure it was they were going to live in we could have any kind of pet we wanted. They would have let us have a rhinoceros if we could have afforded it.

Pet lovers know that animals sometimes understand us better than we do and the annals of human sin and desire provide plenty of stories to drive the point home.

I'd say the best is when I was in Africa I saw a hippo in a house. Someone had a pet hippo. And they're meant to be one of the most dangerous animals on the planet and they had one that was sort of just wandering in and out of their house just sort of roaming about.

I love animals and feel very strongly that people should not be allowed to buy a pet if they are not able to look after it.

A pet store is a celebration of dogs' existence and an explosion of options. About cats a pet store seems to say 'Here we couldn't think of anything else.' Cats are the Hanukkah of the animal world in this way. They are feted quietly and happily by a minority but there's only so much hoopla applicable to them.

A kitten is in the animal world what a rosebud is in the garden.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions they pass no criticisms.

Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.

Every animal has his or her story his or her thoughts daydreams and interests. All feel joy and love pain and fear as we now know beyond any shadow of a doubt. All deserve that the human animal afford them the respect of being cared for with great consideration for those interests or left in peace.

It's not so much about killing an animal it's being at peace and you don't have to worry about all the other things that go on. That's a couple of hours a week that you get to escape but it's nice to do that.

Give your dog or cat respect patience understanding and love. And if you just change to one vegetarian day a week that's a wonderful step that will save animal lives. It means you have chosen something kind instead of something cruel.

Greed is a basic part of animal nature. Being against it is like being against breathing or eating. It means nothing.

No one likes to have less than they had before. That's the nature of the human animal.

I've probably understood men too well. I realise they are predatory by nature and I have a certain acceptance of the male animal.

I lack the magnificent richness of color that animates nature.

Man is the unnatural animal the rebel child of nature and more and more does he turn himself against the harsh and fitful hand that reared him.

Man is by nature a political animal.

I'm concentrating on staying healthy having peace being happy remembering what is important taking in nature and animals spending time reading trying to understand the universe where science and the spiritual meet.

Forests lakes and rivers clouds and winds stars and flowers stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes - every form of animate or inanimate existence leaves its impress upon the soul of man.

I remember when first Stripes and then Animal House came out - which I was really proud of even though it was kind of loose and quite raucous - there were imitative movies that were not quite as good.

I love all the old classic Disney movies. 'Pinocchio.' There are obviously tons of them that anybody growing up on that stuff takes with them their whole lives and I'm an admirer of a lot of classic animation and fairy tales. I grew up on a book of Grimm's fairy tales that I kind of wore out again and again. That's all stuff that lingers with you.

Ever since 'Lassie' and 'Old Yeller' I won't watch animal movies. Animals in movies always die.

I'd see movies comedies and I loved 'Animal House' I loved all the John Hughes stuff but I never saw me and my friends totally represented.

I could really use a corporate sponsor. People think that because you're in the movies you're rich. I have allocated all my resources to Shambala so the animals will always be safe.