The revelation about Ollie's work with the Blue Cross is fascinating,
and a wonderful bit of research. However, I would offer a possibly
different motivation for this as Ollie's support for the war effort.

During the Great War, Flo Ziegfeld was one of the most public
supporters of the allies. It probably made good business since his
high end backers were making money from the war even before America's
formal entry. Still most of his biographers strongly suggest that his
motives were sincere, especially since he lost friends and colleagues
on the Lusitaina.

As such, many of the Ziegfeld girls and stars participated in
benefits or charitable events. In 1916, a performance and dance was
held for the benefit of blinded Allied servicemen by many of the
leading Broadway stars of the time. Will Rogers was among many
Ziegfeld stars who performed and Ollie was among the Ziefeld girls
who would dance with available young men who contributed. A ceramic
doll was made in the likeness of each of the Frolic stars whick was
sold at a silent auction as a further fundraiser for this cause.

There appears to be many reasons why the girls like Ollie
participated. It was good publicity for the ambitious. It pleased the
boss (who Ollie was romantically involved with by this time) and
often these were nothing but fun. Still, it would appear that Ollie
believed in the war and these causes as evidenced by Ollie's pride in
her decorated Marine brother Jim causing Jack's repeated attempts in
1917 to enlist in the Marines (though he was always rejected for
failing the physical).

This is not to say that Ollie didn't love animals. She did. As "Olive
E. Thomas" pointed out Ollie had dogs as pets. Her one "flaw" is that
she did not like appearing with them. In the 1916-1917 version of the
Midnight Frolic, Ollie's appearances were expanded when she was
allowed to sing an opening duet. Unfortunately, Ollie was followed
by "Don the Inebriate Dog" who was a crowd hit. There are lots of
clippings about all the girls loving to play with the dogs backstage
to the distraction of the dogkeeper and there are a delightful couple
of pictures at the University of Texas of an exhausted Ollie sleeping
in a chair literally falling out of her "Miss Midnight Frolic"
costume with one of the dogs patiently waiting for Ollie to wake up
and play or licking her hand. Still, in a 1919 article with Florence
Lawrence, she stated the dogs were one of many reasons she left for
California and Triangle. While the dogs were great fun, she came down
with a "case of higher ambition" when she was being groomed for
better parts but everyone came to see the dogs.

As for horses, Ollie may or may not have owned one. In the San Diego
papers, there were always small articles stating Ollie and Jack
(along with Owen Moore) often rode into the desert or into Mexico in
early 1919 and early 1920.

Not disagreeing with you but another perspective.