Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
As the owner of two rescued dogs, Karoo and Rumi, and two rescued parrots, Angel and Seuss, pet adoption is something Swank preaches and lives.
Just days after the Iams Home for the Holidays campaign ended earlier this month, Swank spoke with Paw Nation and opened up about the first pet she ever had, why she's passionate about pet adoption, and why she never leaves home without her pets -- all four of them!
How do you feel about having helped 1.4 million animals find homes?
I'm thrilled. Especially during these difficult economic times, for people to bring another animal, another mouth that needs to be fed [into their homes], it's quite incredible. It just makes me so happy to know that these animals that were homeless, they now have a chance at life in a loving home.
Why do you feel so strongly about helping animals get adopted?
They don't have a voice to be able to speak about their situations. They need advocates to go out and speak for them and encourage anyone who wants to bring an animal into their home to adopt. When you hear those statistics, that 8 million animals yearly are homeless and approximately 6 million of them get put to sleep, you're just like, spread the word!
Growing up, were you always interested in rescuing animals?
I have always been into rescuing animals. I was made aware at a young age of animals that needed homes, and to me, it was never a question about adopting versus buying purebred.
Do you remember the first pet you ever had?
Yes. My very first pet was actually a cat that found us. It just showed up on our back porch, meowing and starving. It was one of those situations where my mom said, 'Sure, we can bring it in for a couple of days until the owner comes,' and the next thing you know, 10 years later we still had the cat.
What was the first pet you owned as an adult?
It was an 8-week-old puppy I got from a Los Angeles animal shelter. He was a Labrador retriever mixed with something that had long hair. I was 18, just moved out of [my parents' house]. I brought that dog home and named him Lucky. Actually, he just passed a year and a half ago.
Do you feel there is a different kind of bond that develops when an animal is adopted?
I personally do. Dogs' language is intuitive because they don't speak. They have intuition and they know that they've been saved. An animal that's close to death and in a shelter not knowing what their next day's going to be -- when you bring them home, they know you saved their life. I know it. My dogs bring so much joy to my life, and I know they're so happy.
As an animal lover, how do you stop yourself from adopting more pets?
It's really, really hard, let me tell you. But when you get a good balance of animals -- I think you just have to know. I like to travel with mine. So traveling with two dogs and two parrots is challenging enough for me. They're my family members and I don't want to go anywhere without them. My job entails me to travel a lot and I'm lucky enough to be able to bring them with me. If I got any more, it would compromise their quality of life. So I just try to get out there with Iams to spread the word to help get the animals that I want to bring home adopted.
You get to take your pets on film locations with you?
Yes, I do. Aren't I lucky?
For more information about adopting and rescuing animals, visit the Iams Home 4 the Holidays Web site.
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She is Awesome did you just see those pups?
I've adopted 8 times over, it's the only way to go!!! Good for you Hilary, lets spread the word it's better to adopt than buy from a puppy mill!!
I ENJOYED HILLARY'S " MILLION DOLLAR BABY" SO MUCH, BASICALLY BECAUSE I WAS A FORMER RETIRED MARTIAL ARTS WORLD CHAMPION MANY YRS AGO & I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED ANIMALS, EXPECIALLY DOGS. I VOLUNTEERED AT 2 ANIMAL SHELTERS FOR 14+ YRS IN CA. & KS, MAINLY W/ ABUSED & BATTERED ANIMALS , WAS ON THE NEWS IN MISSOURI BECAUSE I NEVER HAD A DOG THAT I WORKED W/ NOT FIND A HOME. I HAD A DOG/FOX MIX, A PRECOSIOUS LITTLE FEMALE DACHSHUND WHO THOUGHT THAT THE WORLD BELONGED TO HER AND WOULD PROTECT ME W/ HER LIFE. A BLACK, GOLDEN & CHOCOLATE LABS THAT MADE MY LIFE SO WONDERFUL EACH AND EVERY DAY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A DOG BITE ME & I HAVE WORKED W/ THOUSANDS AND I NEVER FOUND A DOG THAT I COULD NOT LOVE. AS BAD AS SOME PEOPLE CAN BE TO THEM THEY WILL ALWAYS TRY TO OPRN THEIR HEARTS TO YOU.
The dogs are still cuter
Class, pure class!!! I have always admired her talent and her beautiful aura. She is a truly fine individual and karma has a way of coming back around. For her that means nothing other than the best.
I love Hilary's movies and love her too now that I know she is so good to animals. I have 9 rescued pets. 4 dogs, 2 cats, 3 parrots. They all get along and seem to know they are now family. They are my babies.
Excellent Work! Everyone must adopt from a rescue or shelter. Never buy from a store or a breeder.
CHILDREN are "adopted". PETS are "purchased".
I love my dogs and cats, but they are not "furkids", nor are they children; they are my animal companions.
Please stop blurring the lines between child adoption process and pet ownership. They are not the same thing.
Also, whether you get a pet from a breeder, a shelter, a rescue or find him on the street...that animal loves you and is just as special as any other, regardless. Pets from shelters are not any more loving than pets from a good breeder, and vice versa, and telling people they MUST get a certain type of pet and only from the latest endorsed source is like telling people who they are allowed to love and marry...something that's equally ridiculous.
It is all depending on the individual relationship, NOT whether you got your pet from the currently politically correct, Hollywierd-approved source. If you are good to your pets, they will be good to you and you will each be mightily rewarded with a wonderful, memorable relationship.
Holly - take a breather! For some of us, adopting pets is like adopting children. If it's not that way for you, that's fine but don't tell me what I should or shouldn't believe or blur. I know most of my pets have four legs and if I had kids, they would probably have two. Either way, they learn to talk back, are sassy, something are high maintenance and expensive. Also, the point of not supporting pet stores is to discourage "puppy mill" practices, inbreeding, and nasty living conditions for breeding animals. Hillary is involved in something she believes in and no one is telling you what your preference should be, so chill out!
Poor Holly. I have two adopted children (rescued from abortion) and 8 adopted Shi Tzu (rescued from puppy mills). I purchased neither the children or the dogs. They are more than companions -- like children, each has its own personality and needs. I can't distinguish the love for humans from my love for these needy little ones -- needs are needs and love is love. I am 76 and not in the best of health right now, but I run a small business from home and I gladly spend every cent on the needs of my children and/or my dogs. I live in a rural area of Illinois -- far from Hollywood -- and many ordinary people are as dedicated as Hilary in trying to make the world a better pllace for all God's children -- no matter how many legs they have.
Sorry but, I beg to differ, Holly. I went to the shelter (orphanage), got to spend some time with a few animals (children), filed some paper work after I selected my new companion (child). I waited to be checked out by the powers that be and lo and behold was deemed suitable to be a new Mommy. Some people aren't found to be suitable. It's not a given that everyone will get to adopt an animal at my local shelter.
Get your animals at a shelter. We need to close down all the puppy mills.
Good for Hillary! I just adopted a mini poodle mix from the Animal shelter and he is adorable! I also have A 70 pound Lab/Sharpie/pit mix and a cocker Spainal, They are all great dogs! The mini poodle mix which I named Tiki is really adorable and loaded with personality!. Three dogs is it for me however! There is also Vet expenses, dog food expenses etc etc.
The dogs plus my Love Bird Tequila and my Cat Sophie are all I can handle.
I am always from now on going to get any dog I bring home from the shelter however. Our Shelt6er here in long Beach Calif is state of the art! It's every bit as good as a top notch PreSchool for children! I have always believed that you can tell the economic sucess of a country by how well they treat their animals.
I'M GLAD SHE IS HELPING ANIMALS BUT MANY AMERICANS NEED HELP AND NOT THE BUM IN WHITE HOUSE WAY BUT I'M GLAD SHE NOT A CHILD COLLECT LIKE SOME OTHER ACTRESS IT IS IMPORTANT TO HELP THE ANIMALS BUT PARROTS LIVE 50-70 YEARS I HOPE HER CHILDREN WILL CARE FOR THEM TOO
You don't "adopt" a friggin aminal from a shelter. You simply "go get" one. If I go to get one and they use the word "adopt"....screw them, they can keep the stupid animal. You adopt a child...children and animals are not the same.
What in that scenario makes the animal stupid? I think it's the writer of that comment who is guilty of that.
Anybody who needs a pet, please go to your local shelter and "ADOPT"!
Wonderful cause, pet rescue!! I have two of the buggers asleep at my feet. One a beautiful boxer now about 7 years old. and the other a mutt, small and mighty about 2 yrs old. He has an underbite, crooked little legs, and isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but oh what a lover!!!
GOD Bless U "sweet HILLARY" ! 4 being a "real HUMAN being" ! Besides u are an OSCAR WINNER, u win our hearts 2 ! And 4 those who don't know the difference between "purchase" x "adoption", it's simple : BUY ---> THINGS ( use and discard ) x ADOPT ---> ( a "living creature" that depend on US 4 survival, therefore, WE are "responsible" 4 their lives ).
By the way..........LET'S BOYCOTT PET SHOPS , coz they get animals from PUPPY MILLS which are constantly being "investigated" 4 ANIMAL'S RIGHTS VIOLATIONS !!! I get all my pets from SHELTERS and I'm very happy ! "Unconditional love" = PET'S LOVE !