“Some things in life just feel right,” says Erik Palladino, the hot young star of NBC’s award-winning drama ER. So he says the day he found Daisy, his three-year-old shepherd mix.
“I had been thinking about getting a dog for a while,” Palladino says. He had made several trips to the local shelters, but it just never felt right’. Standing outside a favorite Los Angeles restaurant one day three years ago, the moment arrived. An acquaintance looking to find a new home for his adorable pup happened by, and Palladino fell for the furry face and wagging tail.
A few days later, Palladino got the call. “He wanted me to come over a few hours later to pick her up,” he says, “nut I went right over to get her. I met the guy ar a bus stop, got the dog – and a ride to work.”
“I knew when the guy said his name was Erik that this was my dog,” Palladino says. “It was a sign”. The name was easy too. “She just felt like a ‘Daisy’, “ he says.
Back in his Los Angeles home, which he just bought this summer, Palladino is expanding his circle of canine companionship. “Two months ago while I was in Hawaï, I adopted another dog, a daschund-terrier mix,” Palladino reports. “I have always wanted three dogs – a large dog, a medium size dog and a small one.”
The new pup was instantly named “Weed”. Palladino and his girlfriend, actress Sarah Jane Potts (starring in a recurring role on Felicity this season), chose the name together. “We thought – what’s the opposite of Daisy?” Palladino remembers. “But we were wrong because a daisy is a weed!”
How does the ER actor keep his home looking great with two dogs running around? “We deal with it pretty well,” Palladino says. “I just bought a house with a big backyard and the dogs are ‘outdoor dogs’ now”. When Palladino is relaxing at home, the dogs are free to roam, however. They have a penchant for chewing, but Palladino doesn’t worry – it wouldn’t ‘feel right’.
