Rescue dogs pay the most touching tribute at Jane Goodall’s funeral — even as Leonardo DiCaprio and Nancy Pelosi look on
It was a sight that touched every heart, rescue dogs standing in silent tribute as the world bid farewell to Dr. Jane Goodall. On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, friends, family, and admirers gathered at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to honor the life of the legendary conservationist. Among those paying their respects were actor Leonardo DiCaprio and California Representative Nancy Pelosi, both longtime supporters of her environmental work. But it was the line of rescue dogs outside the cathedral that captured the spirit of the woman who had devoted her life to the care and understanding of animals.
The ceremony began at around 11 a.m., and according to AP News, about 20 therapy dogs from the group People Animals Love (PAL) stood on the cathedral steps to greet mourners and Dr. Goodall’s urn. Guests watched the gentle procession unfold, a fitting farewell for someone who had spent decades giving a voice to creatures great and small. Inside, her three grandchildren spoke, joined by DiCaprio, who shared a heartfelt tribute to his friend and mentor. “Most people knew her as Jane Goodall, the icon, the legend. But the Jane I was fortunate enough to get to know was gentle, curious, funny, witty, and absolutely unstoppable,” he said.
As reported by the New York Post, he remembered her honesty and her belief that “every voice matters” in protecting the living world. DiCaprio’s words reflected not only their friendship but also the deep respect shared by everyone who worked alongside her. The audience was reminded of her endless optimism and the quiet strength that had guided her mission.
Goodall, who died peacefully in California on October 1 at the age of 91, became one of the most influential figures in wildlife research and advocacy. Her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in Tanzania, which began in 1960, changed the world’s understanding of animal intelligence and emotion. By showing that chimpanzees could make and use tools, she challenged the boundaries between humans and animals, forever altering the way science viewed the natural world.
The private service also featured tributes from Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, who spoke about Goodall’s compassion and quiet strength. “She reached across the chasms that divided people from other animals and across the chasms that divide all of us,” Rathmann said, praising her balance of conviction and kindness. Longtime friend Kerry Bowman remembered her humor and “playful sparkle,” a reminder that even as she led serious work, she never lost her warmth, per CBC.
As the ceremony drew to a close, many noticed how fitting it was that dogs, her lifelong favorite animals, were there until the very end. In one of her past interviews, Goodall had revealed that, though she dedicated her life to studying chimpanzees, her heart truly belonged to dogs. “You can’t have any more unconditional love than a dog,” she once said, explaining that they had always been her greatest teachers. One of them, her childhood dog Rusty, had played a special role in shaping her understanding of empathy and connection with animals.