The Pet Matchmaker is launching a series of free weekly podcasts set to begin on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. The Podcast is hosted by the organization’s founder, Elaine Hendrix, who is best known for her roles in Disney’s The Parent Trap, SNL’s Superstar and the cult classic Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion. She will star alongside Dennis Leary in the new FX comedy, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll this summer.
Each show will run approximately 45 minutes and contain an array of features such as Stages & Cages, Non-profit of the Week, Pet Rescue Rockstars and All-star Animal Advocates.
Ms. Hendrix will be joined on-air by her ‘sidekick’ and best friend, Dr. Antonio Brown, a Hollywood writer/producer and animal lover.
One new episode will be released every Tuesday (ongoing) and is downloadable via http://ThePetMatchmaker.com/ and/or http://sideshownetwork.tv/
We caught up with Elaine Hendrix and asked her how her love for animals spurred her desire to become an advocate for them.
Where did your love for animals come from?
EH: Originally, I’m from East Tennessee. Growing up there I spent a great deal of time in nature. So, loving animals is something I’ve done my whole life. Translating that love into advocacy was a different journey that didn’t come until later. And now that love has turned into my life’s purpose.
Did you have a “special pet” when you were younger?
EH: My first dog was very special to me. She was a blonde cocker spaniel I named “Lassie” because I was convinced I had THE Lassie dog from TV. I would get quite upset when people didn’t recognize her. Ahhhh, youth. =^.^=
What pets do you have now?
EH: At the moment I have an interesting pack:
Good Cornbread – a black, short hair, domestic kitty I found 10 years ago while filming on some fairgrounds in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rossmore – a Jindo I found on the street 9 years ago, lives full-time with my ex-boyfriend, but we share joint-custody of him and I regularly visit and help with his care.
Kimbo – a grey tabby I adopted from a LA City Shelter after rescuing Rossmore, because at the time I also had another dog (Tiloc) and Goodie Cornbread. Two dogs and one cat seemed unfair, so I decided the motto in my home needed to be “everyone gets a friends”
Ellie – a German Shepherd/Husky/Collie mix, came to me when I rescued her, her mom and the whole litter when they were less than a week old. She is my soulmate.
Bixby – a Chihuahua/Beagle/Whippet mix, is in the family because he belongs to my boyfriend I live with in LA.
Where did you get the idea for The Pet Matchmaker?
EH: Short answer: a really smart friend brainstormed with me.
Longer short answer: When I first started gaining visibility as an actress I was asked to attend a lot of charity events. I felt like I was doing good, but not really being effective. So, I sat down to choose a cause I would champion. Given my lifelong love of animals it should have been obvious, but it took watching an undercover fur video to figure it out. I think like most people, I had no idea what was happening to the beings I loved so much.
That was a decade ago, and now that I work on various issues with numerous organizations across the globe, I kinda wanted to do the same thing with my advocacy work – have a single platform I could keep coming back to over and over. In all my travels I’ve found that people love their pets and it makes for a great way “in” to thinking bigger about respecting and caring for all animals. Ultimately, I believe that if we can start at home…we can change the world.
What are your hopes for the show in terms of impact on the rescue community?
EH: As far as the rescue community goes, I want to be Switzerland. Animal work gets very emotional…and political. So, if I can create a bridge for other advocates/rescuers to be heard and respected (not necessarily agreed with) then I think that’s a good thing. Sharing information of all kinds goes along with that. Personal stories are a great way to build communication and affect change.
Plus – and this is really important – with rescuers, I want to bring some entertainment to the work we do. Compassion fatigue is so prevalent and issues can become so heavy and loaded because there’s a never-ending stream of them. The Pet Matchmaker’s mission is to celebrate and inspire, so this show is very much that – a celebration.
My deepest hope is that people both in and out of the rescue community will listen, learn and enjoy!
Will there be ways for the listeners to get involved and help as well?
EH: YES, PLEASE! Myself and the whole team absolutely want to hear from listeners, and we encourage pet lovers to contact us: info@thepetmatchmaker.com with their comments, thoughts, ideas, stories… At the moment we do most of our work via online media, and we are always looking for helping hands. We’ll be growing beyond the web very soon as well, so again, we welcome support!
More on the Show
The podcast launches on February 17, 2015 with guests Bill Crowe, Director of the Pet Care Foundation and actress, comedian, writer and film producer Lisa Ann Walter. Future shows include:
“Not only are we launching big productions like the Podcast, but we’re about to give our site an entire makeover,” added Hendrix. “We just celebrated our third anniversary and in these beginning years we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work – what people like to see online and what they don’t. Please visit us, keep coming back and keep the feedback coming. This is a VERY exciting year for us and I want as many people to be a part of it as possible. Animals need all the help they can get.”
About the Author
Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and a member of the Dog Writers Association of America. She is the founder of A Fairytail House. In her spare time, she trains and competes in a variety of performance events with her Shetland Sheepdogs and caters to her two rescue kitties. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.
