Steve-O of 'Jackass' Shares How He Found Purpose Through Animal Rescue at Radical Ranch
Steve-O of 'Jackass' Shares How He Found Purpose Through Animal Rescue at Radical Ranch
Beth Ann MayerThu, June 25, 2026 at 10:10 AM UTC
0
With Jackass: Best and Last set to hit theaters on June 26, Steve-O is back doing what fans know him best for: outrageous stunts, fearless pranks and plenty of laughs. The entertainer, whose real name is Stephen Gilchrist Glover, became a household name alongside Johnny Knoxville as one of the breakout stars of MTV's Jackass franchise. However, most people don't know that the funny frontman is also a huge animal lover with a special place in his heart for rescuing animals.
Behind the wild antics is a man deeply committed to animal welfare. In fact, Steve-O was so passionate about helping animals that he moved out of California to the midwest and built Radical Ranch, a nonprofit sanctuary dedicated to providing a safe haven for rescued animals in need.
Steve-O recently spoke with Parade Pets about his journey into animal activism, the inspiration behind Radical Ranch and his vision for the sanctuary's future. See what he revealed about his passion project, below.
Related: Lindsey Vonn Reuniting With Beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel After Surgery Will Have You in Tears
From Circus Performer to Animal Advocate
Steve-O's passion for animals didn't begin with the nonprofit he runs today—or even with the pets he had growing up. Instead, he traces the roots of his activism back to an unlikely place: clown college.
While attending the now-closed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Steve-O remembers a media-training session that left a lasting impression. Representatives from the circus instructed students on how to handle questions from reporters, particularly when it came to the treatment of animals.
"They said some of you will be working for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—the greatest show on earth—and your job will entail going to the city that the circus is going to be in advance," Steve-O recalls. "You'll be doing interviews to promote the circus... sometimes you're going to be asked about animals. If that happens, you say nothing. You know you have no opinion. You shut up and fall down. You're a clown. I remember it feeling aggressive."
Later, while working for another circus that traveled with elephants and a tiger, Steve-O became increasingly troubled by what he witnessed. Stories of stressed animals and cramped living conditions changed the way he viewed the industry.
"The whole animals-in-the-circus thing bothered me a lot," he says.
His outspoken criticism of circus animal practices eventually caught the attention of PETA after he discussed the issue during a 2006 appearance on Tom Green's House Tonight. The organization soon invited him to participate in a public service campaign opposing the use of animals in circuses. Steve-O later joined PETA's well-known "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign and gradually changed his own lifestyle, first eliminating most meat from his diet before eventually embracing veganism during his recovery journey.
Looking back, Steve-O tells us he sees those early experiences as the beginning of a lifelong commitment to speaking up for animals—a mission that would ultimately lead him to create Radical Ranch.
Related: Dennis Quaid's Bulldog 'Peaches' Leaves TODAY Anchors in Stitches With Her Unbothered Attitude
What is Radical Ranch?
Steve-O alongside one of his rescued goats.courtesy of Orna Pickens
If you've never heard of Radical Ranch, it's a nonprofit animal sanctuary that Steve-O launched in 2024. He says the goal is to inspire compassion for animals and help people everywhere—including his Jackass fans—see just how intelligent and loving these creatures can be.
"I wanted it to be positive," Steve-O shares. "I thought I could buy a big property and turn it into an animal sanctuary that could ultimately get to a place where we can facilitate encounters with animals—where someone could look into the eye of an animal and see that it has emotions, intelligence, feelings—we could cultivate and spread compassion far and wide."
To Steve-O, the spirit of Radical Ranch is rooted in kindness and connection. "It's about just being kind to animals and seeking to cultivate compassion for animals through compassion for people as well," he explains.
Related: Zooey Deschanel Says Her Rescue Dog Co-Star in 'MERV' Is Her 'Dream Type of Dog'
Where is Radical Ranch located?
Radical Ranch spans 44 acres in Tennessee. For Steve-O, the move was intentional and shaped by both practical concerns and a growing desire to build something focused on animal rescue outside of Los Angeles.
He was living in the Hollywood Hills in the early 2020s when he began hearing that some homeowners were struggling to renew insurance policies due to wildfire risk. Around the same time, a trip to Nashville for a UFC event gave him an unexpected opportunity to explore a new possibility.
Advertisement
"I said, 'We'll go I for the fights, and we'll use four days while we're there to look at properties,'" Steve-O tells us. "We looked at properties for three days, and nothing was a hit. Then, the real estate agent said he had one random property that was the total opposite—nowhere near like anything else we looked at."
Steve-O says he was impressed from the jump. He says what stood out to him wasn't just the house, it was everything around it.
"The house was cool, but then they drove me through the woods around the property," Steve-O recalls. "There's a one-mile-long trail that goes in a loop around the property, and it's so awesome. It's a rad trail. By the time we were done driving around the trail, I was like, 'I have to have this! The potential for rescuing animals is off the charts."
From there, his dream of rescuing animals and giving them a better life became a reality.
Related: 7 Sweet Signs Your Foster Cat Feels Safe and Loved, According to a Vet
What Animals Has Steve-O Rescued so Far?
Today, Steve-O tells us Radical Ranch is home to nine animals, but he's hoping to continue to add more over time. "Right now we have a mix of dogs, cats, pigs and goats," he notes.
And as you might expect, they have some fun names, too. A couple of which he really loves. "We have a cat named Winifred Winfrey and Fonzarelli the pig," he reveals while opening up about how he helped some of the animals get out of bad situations.
"My team and I rescued Fonzarelli from a man with terminal cancer and we rescued some of the goats from another sanctuary that had taken them in after their owner, a petting zoo operator, had substance use issues," he reveals.
The Jackass: Best and Last star tells us he'd like to eventially have other types of animals there one day as well. "I'd love to rescue some cows," he smiles.
Related: These 5 Popular Dog Breeds Are Shockingly Common in Shelters, Say Experts
Can You Visit Radical Ranch?
Currently, Radical Ranch is not open to the public, but Steve-O tells us he hopes that's something he can make happen in the future. "I imagine, at one point, we will be," Steve-O says. "But I also live here, so it's a private residence."
Because of that, Steve-O is trying to figure out how to make all of that work out.
Still, he knows letting the public on the ranch could boost fundraising, so he's keeping an open mind. In the meantime, people can meet the rescues on his ranch's website where their pictures are shared as well as info about each one, personality traits and fun facts.
How Can You Support Steve-O's Resuced Animals?
If you're a fan of Steve-O and an animal lover as well, he says fans can still help support the animals on his ranch. In fact, when people donate money to the ranch, in exchange, Steve-O says he offers to give them the tattoo in exchange. He notes that actually started when people began asking him to ink them up, even though he is not a tattoo artist, so he received some coaching from a friend who is one.
"I would feel weird if I charged anybody for a tattoo, so I never did," Steve-O said. "Then I thought, 'There's a crazy demand...what if I offer to give people tattoos to raise money for charity?"
If you're interested, Steve-O reveals you can email steveotatsforcharity@gmail.com with a tattoo design and the amount that you're willing to donate to help out the rescued animals on his ranch.
"It's for my nonprofit, so there's no set price," Steve-O states. "I don't want it to be a barrier for entry. If somebody submits a design that I think is funny or awesome, and I like the creativity, and it works within my ability, I won't be super concerned about how much the donation is. If the donation is super worth it, I'll do whatever you want. It's proven to be a good way to fundraise and help the animals there."
This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Jun 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
