'True Blood' Star Kristin Bauer Gets Passionate About Animal Rights

What Is Kristin Bauer's 'True' Passion?

Watching Kristin Bauer play Pam, the icy vampire on "True Blood," reveals very little about her real, warm-blooded heart.

Bauer is a passionate activist for animal rights issues -- the kind you can get down and dirty supporting. Her most recent campaign is with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which urges the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to protect captive chimpanzees.

Bauer's campaign asks the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend the endangered species protections currently given to wild chimpanzees to captive chimpanzees used in experiments and the entertainment industry, as well as those kept as pets in U.S.

But that's not all she's got on her plate. This on-screen vamp has a serious penchant for protecting the planet's wildlife. The Huffington Post chatted with Bauer about a few of the causes she is championing, why she blames Jay Leno and other celebrities for pet overpopulation and the lovefest between her "True Blood" castmates.

How did you get involved with PCRM?

These things all happen because you get knowledge of all of this stuff that shouldn't be going on. I feel like what a celebrity can do it is pull the curtain back and "reveal the wizard," so I contacted them, and I have to say I am a little drunk with power because I have seen so much change with PCRM. NASA was going to nuke a bunch of spring monkeys and we got that to stop. More than 300 old and ill primates were going to be put back into basic research and we have stopped that. Now we need to close this loophole that allows chimpanzees to be used in research.

But why this cause?

Once I learned what PCRM worked on, it felt the same way to me if I saw a puppy being kicked across the street. You have to run across the street and help the puppy.

You've also been really outspoken about the ban in Ohio on exotic pets after the recent tragedy. Who do you think is to blame for things like that?

I think animals used in entertainment is a big problem. People see these animals on "Jay Leno" and they want them. Paris Hilton carries a Chihuahua in her purse and then everyone buys them, and I see an overpopulation of them in the shelters I work in. I don't think we should promote breaking down the barriers between animals and human beings.

Do your “True Blood” castmates share your passions?

Every single thing I have gotten involved with I have gotten help from the cast. I bring things to them and they sign them. I did a sketch of Alexander [Skarsgard] that we sold for the Amanda Foundation which is a shelter I volunteer at. And they all have their own amazing charities too. Anna [Paquin] and Stephen [Moyer] are tireless with their charity work. It's a great group and a great network. The synergy is astounding.

How can fans keep up with your activism?

I think the big thing is to check in with PCRM and on my website. I am trying to blog and use Twitter more to let people know specific things we can do.

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