Colombiana Star Michael Vartan Gives Dog ‘Parents’ Sound Advice In New PETA Ad

For Immediate Release:
12 September 2011


Contact:
Sandra Smiley +44 (0)207 357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]


London – As Dr Tom Wakefield on the hit American programme Hawthorne, Michael Vartan is often called upon to advise his patients. Now, Vartan is giving advice to parents – of dogs, that is. Vartan – who stars opposite Zoe Saldana in the film Colombiana which premiered in the UK on Friday – appears in a brand-new TV ad for PETA along with his dog, Millie, in which he talks about the importance of giving animal companions all the love, care and attention that they need and deserve.


“No matter how hectic my life gets, spending quality time with my best friend, Millie, is always at the top of my list”, begins Vartan in the 30-second spot. “Millie doesn’t get to make her own schedule. In fact, we decide when our dogs eat, take walks, play with their pooch pals – even relieve themselves. So when I take her on a walk, I make sure she gets to sniff as long as she wants. And it’s up to her whether she walks, runs or even sunbathes. I always remember this is her walk, so I don’t pull on her, and I don’t rush her. These things may seem small to us, but to our dogs, they mean the world.”


In an exclusive interview with PETA, Vartan – who also played Jennifer Garner’s love interest in the acclaimed action-intrigue series Alias – talked about the miserable conditions for animals in circuses and on factory farms and urged his fans to get involved and never to feel powerless. Vartan told PETA, “A lot of times you’ll say, ‘Check out this video on YouTube. It’s about this bear or this elephant [who’s] being abused in the circus by [her] handlers’, and people say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to see that’ – because it’s too big of an issue, it’s too big of a problem. And that’s not true – it isn’t”. He added, “And don’t be afraid to see the ugly stuff, because that’s what we’re really trying to fix”.