She plays Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson in USA’s The Closer, but the Golden Globe winner and animal lover Kyra Sedgwick traded in the badge for angel wings. On “Change A Pet’s Life Day,” she teamed up with the Hill’s Science Diet Shelter Nutrition Partnership to provide free pet adoptions across the country. “Change A Pet’s Life Day” underwrote the first 10 adoptions at 300 animal shelters around the U.S. Those who brought a shelter animal into their lives for the event also received a starter kit of free premium pet food and tips to give their adopted cat or dog the best start.
In a press release, the Closer actress was clear about her reasons for getting involved: “I’ve been fortunate to have experienced the unconditional love of shelter cats and dogs my entire life, so pet adoption is a cause that is very close to my heart.” Sedgwick has an adopted Labrador named Paulie (which she refers to as her “Labrador deceiver”) and a rescued cat named Laura.
This isn’t the first time the star’s gotten her hands dirty to help out. Sedgwick, her husband Kevin Bacon and their two children volunteered with Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) after Hurricane Katrina to rescue deserted and injured animals.
“Change A Pet’s Life Day” is part of a larger project. Since 2002, Hill’s Science Diet has donated millions of dollars worth of dog food to shelters to get pets ready for adoption. That’s a pretty huge donation, but every contribution helps.
In tandem with the event, Hill’s Science Diet launched 1-877-NEW-PET-LINE, a vital resource for new pet parents to understand their pets’ nutrition and behavioral needs. The line will be staffed with live experts trained by Dr. Jacqui Neilson, DVM of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. If you have any questions about your pet, you can call from Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., EST.
Kyra Sedgwick will hit the big screen again in the 2009 sci-fi flick Game, but with a history of humanitarian (and animalitarian) work, the actress is clearly rooted in the present.
For more information about “Change A Pet’s Life Day,” visit: feedingisbelieving.com.
By Tyler Theofilos
Photograph By Jamie McCarthy