House Of Dog was lucky to interview the talented and funny Joan Benedict Steiger.  http://www.joanbenedictsteiger.com

HOD: When did you interest in pets/animals begin and how long have you been a pet owner?
Joan: As long as I can remember.

HOD: What kind of pets do you have? And what are their names?
Joan: I have a Birman cat named “Puddin” and a Shitzudog “Hoppers”.

HOD: Why did you choose that kind of pet?
Joan: His personality.

HOD: How old is your pet? How would you describe her/his personality?
Joan: Hoppers has a dynamite personality, he is nine years old and Puddin, also nine, is very lovable.

HOD: What are your favorite activities to do with your pet in the city?
Joan: Playtime, kissing and loving.

HOD: Did you ever bring your pet to the set?
Joan: Brought Hoppers to the theatre once. Thought he was being bad and had run away from me. I looked everywhere and there he was back in my dressing room.

HOD: Did you ever had your pet in a scene with you?
Joan: No.

HOD: What animal charities are you involved in?
Joan: I’ve been involved with so many animal charities over the years it’s hard to keep track. One of the more well known charities I’ve been involved with is Best Friends Animal Society.

HOD: Do you plan any plans to work with animals, or star with any animals soon?
Joan: No, not at the moment.

HOD: What are you working on now? (Animal related or not)

Joan: I hope to do “Sunset Boulevard” in the theatre.

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Lead singer and guitarist Michael Gossard of ACIDIC, the hottest new Los Angeles alternative/rock band talks music and pets with House Of Dog.

http://www.acidicband.com

HOD: When did your interest in pets/animals begin and how long have you been a pet owner
MG: I’ve been a pet owner as long as I have been alive and have grown up with them and have come to appreciate them as dependent and loving beings.

HOD:What kind of dogs/cats do you have?
MG: All of our animals are rescues and are combinations of many different breeds. Our dog Goldie seems to be a shepherd dominant mix with some lab and who knows what else, and our cats are plain domestic short-hairs. And we also have a goldfish I got at my school carnival when I was really little. The fish was about the length of my little finger. That was at least ten years ago, I think. That fish is now almost a foot long! Really! And he’s still going – or swimming – strong! I named him Matthew after one of my friends.

HOD: How old are your pets? How would you describe their personality?
MG: Our dog Goldie is about five and is loyal to the point of annoyance and she has a bubbly personality. Our cats are all very provincial and act as though they own the world. Db is 10, Onyx is 3, Betty and Barney are both 1. I can’t remember how old Matthew the fish is but he’s our oldest pet.

HOD: LA is well-known as a great place for dog lovers-what are your favorite activities to do with your pets?
MG: I love going on walks with Goldie as she is so trustworthy and is always willing to run endlessly. I also love sitting and reading while the cats roam and scramble all over the place as well as giving all the cats a thorough dose of catnip and watching the ensuing calamity.

HOD: What animal charities are you involved in?
MG: My band ACIDIC started a charity called Help Us Help which chose as its first beneficiary the volunteers at the East Valley Animal Shelter. They were overloaded last winter because of the Sylmar Fire and also the foreclosure crisis that hit at the same time. You had a big influx of homeless animals there – whose families couldn’t keep them anymore. Our dog trainer friend Jacqueline Gaillard told us how strapped the volunteers were and how there was no money for all the extra supplies they needed now because of such an increased demand. So we thought if we shared the money from our CD sales, it might help them.

HOD: Do you plan any plans to work with an animals, or star with any animals soon?
MG: As far as working with or starring with any animals, we haven’t made plans as of yet, but I’m sure we will be involved with them later on in our career.

HOD:What are you working on now? (animal related or not)
MG: At this moment I am sitting in the studio writing on my Blackberry while we’re simultaneously recording tracks for our new album due in January. We’re being produced by the Wizardz Of Oz, a very well known, award-winning Australian production team who’ve worked with artists like Jason Mraz, Avril Lavigne, the Pussycat Dolls, and Britney Spears!

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Raising star Tanna Fredrick sat down with HOD recently to talk about her love of animals, her beloved Garbo and her latest projects. Check out her interview below and click here to learn more about Tanna at www.TannaFrederick.com.

HOD: When did your interest in pets/animals begin and how long have you been a pet owner?
TF: I’ve been a pet owner my whole life. Growing up in Iowa, I had cats and I went to my grandparents’ farm on the weekends, playing in the barns around the chickens and cows and pigs. Might sound cliché, but it was wonderful.

HOD: What kind of dog do you have?
TF: A Shiba Inu.

HOD: Why did you choose a Shiba Inu?
TF: I researched pets online, to try and find a pet personality that would fit with mine. I read that the Shiba Inu was the most narcissistic and quirky of all dogs, as well as the most cat like of all dogs. So it was a perfect match, being a quirky and narcissistic creature myself.

HOD: How old is Garbo? How would you describe her personality?
TF: She’s going to be one in November. She is adorable and sweet and mischievous…I think she knows she’s adorable, and she works it; she gets into everything and then before I can get upset, she flashes her big brown eyes, bats her long blonde lashes (who knew dogs have lashes?! So cute!) and I melt. She was raised for her first three months with five Pit bulls, so she loves big dogs and isn’t afraid to step up to a wrestling match with these huge monstrous dogs when we walk. They like her, too. I think they sense she has no fear. So although she’s cute and pretty, she’s definitely a ‘tom’ dog.

HOD: LA is well known as a great place for dog lovers-what are your favorite activities to do with Garbo in the city?
TF: Santa Monica is like a Florida retirement community for dogs. There are dog bowls outside all the shops. I take her into Keihl’s and they stuff her full of doggie treats. I run errands and Garbo gets to enjoy this laid back doggie resort disguised as a neighborhood for people. We also go running on the beach, but she doesn’t understand the concept of a never-ending sandbox so she always stops to dig.

HOD: Why did you name her Garbo?
TF: After Greta – the greatest screen siren of all time. If she were a boy I would have named her Bogart.

HOD: What animal charities are you involved in?
TF: Project Save Our Surf, which helps marine life and the fragile ocean ecosystems, and Animal Acres, a wonderful organization monitoring the treatment and protection of farm animals.

HOD: Do you plan any plans to work with an animals, or star with any animals soon?
TF: Zack Norman has two adorable dogs that made their screen debut in ‘Hollywood Dreams’ and will be in our sequel ‘Queen of the Lot’…they play David Proval’s ‘babies’. One of the dogs thought Proval’s face was a jar of peanut butter and licked his cheeks, ears, and hair for the entire duration of a twenty-minute scene.

HOD: What are you working on now?
TF: Right now I’m starring in a new play by Henry Jaglom called “Just 45 Minutes From Broadway.” It opens October 17 at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica. It’s a great comedy about a big theatre family. No dogs on stage, but there’s some funny reminiscing about a spoiled dog named Putzi.