SHOCKING! Actress Elaine Hendrix Has a Secret Mission Off-Screen—Saving Animals Will Melt You!

The full-time actress & activist opens up on celeb life and dog rescue

Elaine Hendrix has that intense, dramatic beauty and commanding presence that turns heads the second she walks in. It's the very thing that's kept her a sought-after Hollywood actress for two decades now.

Best known for the remake of The Parent Trap and flicks like Inspector Gadget 2 and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, the Tennessee native has also popped up in dozens of hit TV shows—Beverly Hills 90210, Ellen, Charmed, Friends, CSI, Married with Children, Anger Management, Castle, and Ghost Whisperer among them. She's now starring with comic Denis Leary in FX's new comedy Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.

‘I run two full-time careers. I'm an actress full-time and an animal activist full-time,’ she tells Modern Dog from her Los Angeles home.

When she's not filming or hanging with her five—yes, five—rescue pets, the driven blonde is crisscrossing North America pushing for stronger animal-protection laws and teaming with groups to back the homeless-pet cause.

A loud-and-proud anti-fur voice, the lively 44-year-old has sunk countless hours into fostering, speaking, marching, teaching, and building homes for animals.

‘I'm so unbelievably lucky to be doing the two things I love, at the level I get to do them,’ she says. Elaine's real plunge into activism started 20 years back, after she stumbled on a hidden-camera video probing a fur operation.

‘I doubled over like someone kicked me in the gut,’ she says. ‘I started sobbing uncontrollably—I was losing it. Right then I knew I had to act.’

Already a vegetarian, her first move was stripping her life of anything that hurt animals. She went vegan and tossed every beauty and cleaning product tested on animals. But that was just the start.

‘I sold my car over its leather seats,’ she says, noting her then-boyfriend thought that was ‘a bit much.’

Next came public backing of rescues. Through a friend at Beverly Hills' The Pet Care Foundation, the busy actress began hitting farmers markets every weekend to preach the joys of adopting.

‘That's where I realized I had a knack for pitching shelter adoptions to people. I started pairing folks with homeless pets,’ she says.

That gift—and passion—for matching would-be pet parents with four-legged pals pushed Elaine to launch the multimedia project and site The Pet Matchmaker (thepetmatchmaker.com) three years ago.

With the motto ‘homeless pets make the best pets,’ the site shares tales of love, rescue, and adoption, on a mission to get more animals out of overcrowded, underfunded U.S. shelters—alive.

The Pet Matchmaker's editor-in-chief Nora Lynch says that unlike many Hollywood actresses, Elaine is all heart and zero ego on their pet project.

Tough animal topics sit front and center on Elaine's new weekly Pet Matchmaker podcast. Pulling in experts, advocates, trainers and rescue parents, nothing's off the table.

‘We also cover animals that don't make great pets—primates, say,’ Elaine says. ‘I want it to have personality, be fun, and feel spontaneous.’

That means drop-ins from her heavyweight Hollywood pals. Margaret Cho, Debra Wilson, Morgan Fairchild, and True Blood's Kristen Bauer van Straten are recent guests, and Elaine plans to book her whole FX cast soon.

Married with Children's David Faustino stopped by to chat about his rescue dog Molly—the pup he adopted thanks to Elaine's sly matchmaking. Elaine set Molly up with the actor and was also there when he adopted his other two dogs.

‘If you're my friend, you love animals—that's basically the rule. It has to be that way,’ she says, laughing. ‘I've placed a ton of animals with my friends.’

She played doggie matchmaker to pal Jennifer Love Hewitt, hooking the Ghost Whisperer actress up with Duke, a rescue pup pulled from a ‘hellish’ high-kill shelter in San Bernardino, California.

‘She was just so into it. I'd never had a rescue before,’ Jennifer Love Hewitt told Modern Dog of Elaine's rescue work.

‘I'd been someone who felt totally lost. Abandoned by the universe. And a lot like how these dogs must feel: like, there's nothing wrong with you, you just haven't been found yet,’ Jennifer says of taking in the rescue. ‘He picked me up.’

Elaine says Jennifer's life did a ‘stunning’ flip after bringing the shelter pup home.

‘She credits Duke for some amazing shifts in her life. And as dog lovers, we know the power dogs hold. How they can flip your whole world.’

Truth is, rescue has been a life-changer for Hendrix personally. She shares custody of an aging Korean Jindo with an ex-boyfriend, ‘a great co-parent.’ She named the dog Rossmore after the L.A. street where she found him, beaten and starved. He's at least 12 now, blind, going deaf, and ‘just the sweetest boy.’

‘I didn't try that hard to track down his folks,’ she admits.

Rounding out the dog crew is Bixby, a ‘hilarious little love bug’ Chihuahua/Whippet/Beagle mix adopted from L.A. rescue Bark n' Bitches, and Ellie, who Elaine calls ‘her soulmate.’

Ellie was one of six German Shepherd/Collie/Husky mix pups Elaine fostered after a frantic call from a local shelter about a pregnant dog about to be put down. She took them all in and, of course, meant to keep none. But when Ellie's whole litter found homes, the softie had an epiphany: ‘She couldn't find a home and I was like ‘yeah, that's 'cause she always had one. She was home.’’

Then there are the cats: Goodie Cornbread, a black domestic shorthair scooped off the street during a Georgia shoot, and a gray tabby named Kimbo she adopted to keep the first cat company.

‘I'm just so thankful they all get along,’ she says of her brood.

If rescuing shelter pets is Elaine's lifestyle, busting myths about them is her life's mission.

She gets fired up when folks claim only ‘defective’ dogs land in shelters, and would rather buy from a pet store.

‘It's backwards,’ she says. ‘Pet shops are where the inbred, sick dogs are. Hit a shelter and you're more likely to adopt a dog that's healthier, vaccinated, microchipped, and—at some spots—even basic-trained.’

Same goes for anyone set on a purebred who thinks only a breeder has one. A quarter of shelter adoptables are purebred, she says, ‘and there's a pure-breed rescue for nearly every dog under the sun.’

Russell Terrier: Coat may be smooth, broken, or rough. There is no preference to markings, but the coat must be at least 51% white and can have black or tan markings.

‘Dogs get sick. Dogs change, just like us. The real truth is you never know what you're gonna get.’

Fierce about her beliefs, Elaine hasn't shied from using her fame to back the animal-rights fights she cares about—no matter how hot-button.

She's marched on puppy mills in L.A. protests and waved signs against dog meat at public demos.

It's a bold play for a high-profile actress, but for her the payoff beats the risk when it comes to using her platform for an animal-rights stance.

Early on, Elaine lost several acting gigs for refusing to wear fur—even faux. But those knocks only steeled her convictions.

‘Two things I just won't do: gratuitous nudity and fur. It's like ‘yeah, fire me.’ I don't sweat my career at all,’ she says.

Now a mentor to young actors, that's the lesson she's handing the next wave of Hollywood hopefuls: ‘I tell people to pick a cause, to stay strong,’ she says.

With her FX series shooting in New York, Elaine—50-pound Ellie in tow—will rack up serious air miles this year. Busy slate or not, she's not slowing her animal work one bit.

Beyond growing The Pet Matchmaker site and podcast, Elaine is filming a web series called ‘Dog Boss’ and PSAs about pets in crisis. This fall she's also dropping an app for pet parents to set up doggie playdates nearby.

And if that's not enough, Elaine is launching a group called HARRT–Humane Animal Rescue & Response Team–to pull animals from harm.

‘Any free minute I have goes back to animals. The key thing is just don't stop, don't stop.’

Is the Parson Russell or Russell Terrier the Right Fit? A Few Practical Things to Think About

First question: how do you feel about barking? Because both of these terriers absolutely love it.

These highly alert dogs have a very keen sense of their surroundings. Nothing slips past the Parson Russell or Russell Terrier. So, if you’re looking for a calm and quiet dog, keep looking. While the Parson Russell is noted as a more moderate barker, both are high-energy companions. If you want a dog who’ll always let you know what’s going on and who’s arrived, either is a great choice.

When it comes to noise, both of these terriers are serious barkers—no two ways about it.

Another consideration is that these dogs love to dig. Are they looking for something specific? Often, no. Just remember they were bred to dig through holes to reach dens. So, garden enthusiasts, take note. Neither tenacious terrier will share your appreciation of prize roses. If a pristine yard matters to you, these dogs likely aren’t it.

Speaking of yards, because their prey drive stays so keen, a fenced-in yard is advised. The smaller Russell Terrier may be more adaptable to small spaces or apartments, but ideally both should have a secure, fenced yard and room to roam and play.

Finally, with children or other pets at home, a bit of caution is in order. Early socialization and ongoing training are crucial so both breeds build positive bonds with the whole family—and other animals. Affectionate and playful with kids, yes, but their energy is high. Combine that with a terrier’s tendency to react in kind to rough handling, and supervision matters to avoid accidental knocks and keep kids gentle with their dog.

Getting to Know the Parson Russell and Russell Terriers

Energy Level and Exercise Needs

The Russell Terrier is smaller, but don’t think his energy shrinks with his size: think again. The Russell may be a touch more manageable, yet both absolutely need lots of exercise and mental stimulation to thrive. A couple of long walks daily plus several play sessions are the minimum. Left alone too long, or short on physical and mental outlets, both breeds turn destructive. A tired terrier is a good terrier, as the saying goes.

Parson Russell Terriers tend to have a somewhat calmer demeanour than their intense counterparts, but both breeds are intelligent, independent, and quick learners. Easy to train? Not so much.

Training Approaches That Actually Work

It’s fair to say the whole Terrier Group carries a bit of a trainability stigma. Smart, independent, and notoriously stubborn, these dogs don’t exactly wake up wondering how to please their owners. Patience, positive reinforcement, and plenty of practice are in order.

Image credit: Kristyna Mrazkova

Would I suggest either breed for a novice or first-time owner? Probably not. There’s a lot of dog in these little guys. They need a great deal of time, effort, and understanding.

Along with socialization, owners should commit to ongoing, consistent training from a very early age. Use only positive-reinforcement techniques, and meet their exercise needs so they stay happy and well-behaved.

A Guide to out and about

Just because you won’t be taking them fox hunting doesn’t mean you can’t give either breed plenty of physical and mental stimulation. What suits them? Name it!

Snapshot: Inside Creative House

Agile, fast, and highly energetic, activities like Agility and Flyball come naturally to these terriers. Even more natural? Simulated hunting like Earthdog. These let your dog do what comes naturally—in a controlled, kinder way.

The Truth About health considerations

These are relatively healthy breeds with a lifespan averaging 13 to 15 years, but like all purebreds they can be prone to some genetic illnesses. Hip dysplasia, for example, is one to watch.

Along with shared ancestry, the Parson Russell Terrier and the Russell Terrier share many traits. Intelligent, agile, and tenacious—they’ve got all they need as hunting companions. At home, they’re affectionate, fun, and eager to join just about anything. Small in stature, formidable in spirit—no wonder these two terriers have won dog-lovers worldwide.

At-a-Glance Profiles: The Parson Russell & The Russell Terrier

The Parson Russell Terrier stands taller of the pair, ideally 13 to 14 inches at the withers, while the Russell comes in at 10 to 13.

Both breeds descend from the Jack Russell Terrier, bred in England during the 1800s as a tireless, agile dog to aid fox hunts.

These dogs require plenty of daily physical and mental stimulation to thrive. Ideally, give them a fenced yard to run and play.

Average. Low maintenance generally, but they shed seasonally, and with that white coat, regular bathing will be needed.

If you like either terrier, you might also consider the Wire Fox Terrier, the Rat Terrier, or the Smooth Fox Terrier.

» Read Your Breed—for more breed profiles, visit moderndogmagazine.com/breeds