TV host Ellen DeGeneres has been praised by The Humane Society for her dedication to promoting key animal rights issues.

The comedian was recently embroiled in a scandal involving her former pet, Iggy - a rescue dog she adopted and had to give away to a friend.

But Beverly Kaskey, senior director of the Hollywood branch of the Humane Society, has praised DeGeneres for using her profile for the good of animals.

She tells New York gossip column PageSix, "Ellen took on the cruelty of hunting, cooking lobsters and even defended small insects."

The Humane Society also named cartoon character Lisa Simpson, from The Simpsons, as another key animal rights advocate for becoming a vegetarian.

She adds, "Lisa makes the connection between the lamb chops on her plate and the lamb she had befriended earlier and refuses to eat her dinner."