At age 11, Bell became a vegetarian. In an interview with PETA, Bell stated, "I have always been an animal lover. I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with—dogs and cats, for example—from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat. I always loved my Brussels sprouts!" By 2012 Bell had become vegan with her husband after watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives". During her first pregnancy, she returned to eating dairy and eggs, however. During her time in Michigan, Bell fostered animals from the Michigan Humane Society, and she now supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bell often attends fundraisers for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting animals. She has had several dogs, including a Welsh Corgi-Chow Chow mix named Lola, a Welsh Corgi-Chihuahua mix named Shakey, and a black Labrador Retriever named Sadie, who was 11 years old when she was rescued from Hurricane Katrina and adopted by Bell in 2005. In 2018, Bell participated in a television advertisement for bone marrow donations, specifically the Gift of Live Marrow Registry. Her actions resulted in several matches that are documented on the Gift of Life website.