Spiderman, Crash, CSI, ER, Desperate Housewives… Sylva Kelegian’s acting credits are diverse and numerous, but the figures get even more impressive when you look at how many dogs she has rescued – 500 and counting! GOD SPELLED BACKWARDS: The Journey of an Actress into the World of  Dog Rescue relates how Sylva switched camera crews for canines in a moving memoir, honored as a finalist in the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards!

In the spirit of continued giving, Sylva donates 50% of her profits from the book to animal rescue groups. For June the beneficiary is the Eastwood Ranch Foundation and for July The Forgotten Dog Foundation. (To help benefit the pups simply purchase the book through Sylva’s website – link below!)

Meet Sylva’s Dogs:

MAZIE –  Shiba Inu/Cattle Dog 14 years old. Easiest most loving dog. We call her the Mama Sissy of the house.

SHADOW – Shepherd/Lab/Coyote 7 years old. Was Feral when I rescued him and is now a normal dog. He’s my highly intelligent, playful, loving, old soul.

NATE – Cocker Spaniel/Dachshund 8 years old – I rescued him from a car lot as he lived on the streets for over a year. We call him the “Dead End kid” after the tough boys in the movie.

NOW LET’S HIT THE ROAD!

When traveling in the car with you, are your dogs a) sat in your lap, paws on the steering wheel b) head out the window taking it all in c) laid-back and snoozing or d) secure in carrier e) other behavior!

I’ve rescued over 500 dogs and have had almost all of them in my car at one time or another. With my own dogs and all the dogs I rescue, I put the smaller ones in the front seat and the bigs in the back. I always tie leashes to the door or head rest so that if a door were to open, they can’t dart out. Also when you open the door to get them out you have more control, so they don’t dart. I never have the window down low enough for anyone’s head to be sticking out; just enough so they can put their snout up and smell the world.

With my three – Nate likes to get in through the back with the other two and then hang out in the middle on the console so that the other dogs can’t be near me, but when I tell him to get in the front seat, he does.

If you could click your fingers and wake up anywhere in the world with your dogs, what destination would you most like to experience together and why?

Nate loves the beach, so I would love to wake up on a beach with him.

Mazie loves food, so it would be great to wake up in Italy with her and eat our way across the country.

Shadow is never allowed off leash at parks or on hikes because of his fear, so I would love to be on a deserted island with him so that he could run if something scared him and I would always find him.

What is your fondest memory of taking a dog road trip?

I rescued a shepherd from a horrible situation and drove her from Los Angeles to Oregon to a safe, wonderful home. We stayed in hotels and went to the Oregon coast and it made my heart swell to see a dog that had been confined all her life, running on the beach and sleeping on the bed.

Do you have an all-time favorite dog-friendly accommodation?

The Cypress Inn in Carmel. It’s owned by Doris Day who is a dog lover and rescuer.

Have you ever had any doggie disasters while traveling with your pet?

I’ve never had any dog disasters as I am always on high alert and do everything I can to prevent anything from going wrong.

Any tried & tested tips for happy travels with your dog? 

One thing I would say though is to make sure your dog is microchipped and has a tag on with a current phone number, as anything can happen and you want to make sure they get back to you. And get some books on tape before you head out on the road! It makes the time fly by!

Website: www.sylvakelegian.com

Book link on Sylva’s Website

Book link on Amazon UK

Book link on Amazon.com

Rescue Group: The Forgotten Dog