Short answers, pulled from the story.
Betty Boop made her first appearance in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes on the 9th of August 1930. She began as an anthropomorphic French poodle with floppy ears and a black nose before transforming into a human character.
Max Fleischer created the character at the request of his brother, but Grim Natwick helped transform the poodle into a fully human female character within a year. By the release of Any Rags in 1932, Betty had become a girl with hoop earrings instead of dog ears.
Helen Kane filed a $250,000 infringement lawsuit against Fleischer Studios in May 1932 claiming the character exploited her personality. Justice Edward J. McGoldrick ruled that the plaintiff failed to sustain either cause of action in the New York Supreme Court trial held in 1934.
Joseph Breen ordered the removal of suggestive winks and shaking hips after the 1st of July 1934 under the Production Code. The studio forced Betty to become a spinster housewife or career girl while her curls decreased and she stopped wearing gold bracelets and hoop earrings entirely.
Public domain status for earliest appearances arrived on the 1st of January 2026. A live-action horror adaptation called Boop is scheduled for release once this public domain status arrives.