KEY POINTS:
Gretchen Wyler, a veteran Broadway actress who enjoyed a second career on television and went on to become a leading animal rights activist, has died. She was 75.
She began her crusade for animal rights in 1966 after witnessing poor conditions at a New York shelter. She formed the Ark Trust in 1991 and ran the organisation until it joined forces with the Humane Society in 2002.
Wyler's theatrical career spanned 50 years, including parts on Broadway in the original Guys and Dolls, Silk Stockings, Damn Yankees, and Bye Bye Birdie. She was a regular on the CBS television series On Our Own, spent a season on Dallas and made guest appearances on a number of shows including Friends, Judging Amy and Providence.
