Pro wrestler Bill Goldberg is a fierce competitor in the ring but, as seen here in Atlanta, Ga., with a kitten named Mo, he’s got a soft spot in his heart for furry creatures.

Bill Goldberg, by his own admission, is a man of extremes. The 33-year-old World Championship Wrestling pro is known for signature moves that have names like “the Spear” and “the Jackhammer.”

At 6′4″ and 285 lbs, Goldberg, a former pro football player for the Atlanta Falcons and the L.A. Rams, seems custom-built for his over-the-top profession. But underneath all those muscles, he’s really just a big softy — especially when it comes to animals. In fact, he’s the official spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “Deep down inside, a lot of these tough-image guys have pets at home and adore them like they’re their children,” he says. “I can tell you for sure a lot of the guys in the WCW feel the same way.” Lately, Goldberg has had plenty of time to hang out with the pets he loves so much (not to mention long-time live-in girlfriend Lisa Shekter) because of a wrestling-related injury he sustained last December. While attempting to shatter a car window, he severed tendons and muscles in his arm, coming within a centimeter of hitting a crucial nerve. He admits that “the scar from the 190 stitches doesn’t look too good.” A recent return to the ring resulted in another injury. Fans might be surprised about his love of furry creatures, but he says those who know him well have long seen his sensitive side. “I’m an extremist in my difference of emotions,” the surprisingly soft-spoken Goldberg says. “I go from the bottom of the spectrum all the way to the top. People who know me expect nothing less.” He understands he may “shock” the average wrestling fan with his charity of choice but offers, “I’m a human too, just like anyone else.”   The wrestler’s interest in animals was sparked way back when he was a kid in Tulsa, Okla. “All the memories I have of the dogs the family had when I was a kid are all so positive,” he says, adding that it was when his sister gave him his own pup that he “learned the true meaning of the relationship between man and animal.” Then, when Goldberg’s parents — Jed, an obstetrician, and Ethel, a former concert violinist who’s now a professional orchid judge — were going through a tough divorce, he says he turned to his dog for comfort. “My dog Rocky, my Rottweiler, became my best friend at that point,” Goldberg confides.

A few years ago, after achieving so much success as a wrestler, Goldberg figured it was only natural to give something back. So in 1998 his agent, at Goldberg’s request, contacted the Humane Society. “To do nothing with [my success] would be worse than not having it,” Goldberg says. “So I turned my energy into doing as much as I could for the community.” One of the first official duties Goldberg performed for the Humane Society was in February 1999, when he spoke in front of Congress about illegal animal fighting. According to the HSUS’s Pat Ragin, senior director of campaigns and planning, “Capitol Hill was electrified.” In fact, Ragin couldn’t be more thrilled with Goldberg. “He’s very gentle and caring,” she gushes. “Kids love him. He stands and patiently signs every autograph for hours and hours . . . I’ve gotten letters from people who have joined the Humane Society because of him. He really cares about beings who can’t speak for themselves.” Right now, Goldberg says, he’s working on creating Bill Goldberg Pet Adoption Day. While he’s adamant about the importance of getting pets spayed and neutered, he believes, “If you can’t immediately raise awareness about neutering your animals, the No. 1 priority is to get good homes for the ones that are out there.” Goldberg’s other pet peeves include fur (”How bad is it to know that you could have a stuffed animal with cat or puppy fur on it?”) and pet stores (”I don’t think that should be legal. It kills me to walk into a mall and see a dog displayed behind a glass wall.”). His intense love of animals notwithstanding, Goldberg hasn’t taken the plunge into vegetarianism — yet. “I watch what I eat. I stay away from certain things,” he says. “I’m getting towards the idea that it doesn’t taste as good as it used to because I really think about where it came from.” The sensitive man of steel pauses for a moment. “I’m becoming aware of everything now.” — TRACEY MIDDLEKAUFF Posted on June 29, 2000 Copyright © 2000 Time Inc.