Hayden Panettiere's final PETA campaign captured weeks before her death marked lifetime of advocacy work

Hayden Panettiere was remembered as more than just an actress in her final campaign with PETA, a project that was captured in Los Angeles weeks before her sudden death at 36.

In an image shared earlier this week, Panettiere posed from a bathtub to protest marine parks like SeaWorld, "who sentence dolphins to a lifetime of suffering and loneliness in captivity," the organization said.

Panettiere's quest for marine life conservation was a life-long pursuit, beginning when she was just a teenager advocating for animals with the Whaleman Foundation.

Her advocacy work involved protesting, lobbying and fundraising for animal welfare efforts. Most recently, the "Heroes" actress begged for an end to marine life captivity.

"Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression? All that is important and crucial for their well-being is ripped away. … We can end this. You and me," Panettiere pleaded in her last PETA campaign.

"In their ocean homes they can be with their families, dive deep to escape the hot sun and enjoy the rain on their backs… all of that is taken from them when they are confined to small tanks."

The "Remember the Titans" star became a prominent spokesperson at a young age for the Whaleman Foundation and the Save the Whales Again! campaign.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE DEAD AT 36

In 2007, Panettiere, along with actress Isabel Lucas and a number of activists, traveled to Taiji, Japan, to protest the slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen.

Panettiere donned a wetsuit and entered the water on a surfboard to help form a memorial circle for dolphins that had already been killed that morning.

The peaceful demonstration turned violent when the fishermen attacked the floating protesters with poles and spinning propellers, the foundation reported.

Footage from the protest appeared in "The Cove," a documentary about the Taiji dolphin hunts, which later won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

She later returned to Japan with Whaleman Foundation founder Jeff Pantukhoff and attempted to meet with local leaders to discuss alternatives to dolphin hunting, but was prevented from entering town hall.

"I wasnt sure what to expect on my trip back to Japan," Panettiere said after returning. "I think a lot of people assume that I hate Japan, or would want to boycott Japanese products because of my issues with their dolphin hunting policies. But really, nothing could be further from the truth.

"Its a beautiful place — the people there have such an intense appreciation for nature. I absolutely love it. I think the media likes to paint a picture of West vs. East — Us vs. Them. But I think we all have more in common than that."

She added, "I wanted to take this trip to reach out to people in Japan that feel the same way. You see, the majority of people living there dont know about the dolphin hunts, and would never condone them if they did. And for the few who do eat dolphin meat, there is a serious human health concern. Dolphin meat is highly toxic and isnt safe for people to eat."

Panettiere was able to meet with officials and political leaders in the area, and despite tense times, she had "never been more hopeful" for the future.

"The word is getting out in Japan, and I have faith that the people there will ultimately be the ones to shut down the cove for good," Panettiere said at the time.

HAYDEN

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