New York Times best-selling author, animal advocate, mother, and host of the “BDA Baby” podcast Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt reflects on how rescue work, from fostering puppies to gaining the confidence to ride horses again, strengthened her commitment to speaking up for animals in need.
How did your work in animal advocacy begin?
I’ve been an animal lover my entire life. I just loved being in the presence of animals, but when I was growing up, getting an animal from a rescue organization wasn’t talked about like the way that it is today. As I got older, I was introduced to the world of animal rescue and fostered a bunch of dogs with my sister, and we had such a rewarding experience. Having the experience of caring for these animals, and then seeing how it made families so happy to be matched up with them, we decided to continue doing it. For me, being a voice for the voiceless felt like a natural thing for me to get involved in.
What advice do you have for someone considering fostering an animal?
Just do it! Whenever I hear somebody thinking that their family might be ready to make the commitment to fully welcome an animal into their home, I always tell them to foster first, because my sister and I really learned what a huge commitment it is to have an animal full-time. Fostering as an adult really teaches you the responsibility and the changes you’re going to have to make in your life to care for an animal. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but the reality is that it changes everything. You can’t just leave your home or go on vacation.
You really have to keep another creature’s well-being in mind. Fostering is no strings attached; you can really get an idea of what comes with having an animal in your home. Plus, there are so many amazing animals who need foster homes, so doing that work is also hugely helpful and such a great experience!
At what point did you know your dog Maverick was meant to be more than just a foster?
It’s interesting because Maverick came into my life after I had found homes for eight different puppies from a local woman in Los Angeles who needed help with a hoarding situation. My sister and I were like, “Great, we’ll help you. We’ll take all these puppies and find them homes.” So, we had these puppies for several weeks and found them all amazing homes, and it was such a rewarding experience to see a family fall in love with their perfect puppy match. After that, I had taken a two-week break of not having a foster dog in our home when a woman asked me, “Can you help me with this one dog? He was found under a freeway, and he’s only three weeks old. He’s really fragile, but I trust that you would be able to take care of him, even though he’s really young.” When I got Maverick, we were feeding him through a syringe, and he almost didn’t make it several times because he was so sick. The amount of time and care that I was giving to him specifically felt different. There was a bond that developed right away because of how much focused care he needed from the beginning, so I developed this connection with him.
How did your experience with Maverick inspire you to start writing children’s books?
I really wanted to teach children about the healing power of animals and how important that can be in a child’s life. Animals are such a gift and can teach us about things like unconditional love, responsibility, routine, discipline, and caring for someone other than yourself. Having that presence in a child’s life is such a huge gift, and it also teaches you things like overcoming your fears, which is ultimately what “Maverick and Me” and my new book, “Kat and Brandy,” are about. Through creating those bonds that last a lifetime, you’re able to do things like overcome your fears, because the bond you create with animals gives you confidence.
Sometimes, animals who come with a past, like Maverick or my horse Brandy, take longer to warm up to you, but they don’t care what you do for a living, what you look like, or how much money you make. Animals require you to show up authentically, so I think that for me, taking the time to really earn the trust of Brandy gave me a huge amount of confidence that I needed to get back up on horseback. I couldn’t use words and convince her that I was a good person to trust. It was really through time and energy and being present with each other that we were able to develop a bond that has shaped who I am.
What is the most important thing you want readers to take away from your books and work in pet advocacy?
My goal with my books is to always write something that will allow a child or caregiver to feel seen in their journey and see themselves in that story. I hope they’ll feel inspired to have a conversation about fears, learn how to work through those fears, and feel like they can gain the confidence to work through things. We all experience things that scare us and make us nervous, and I think it’s about what we can do to not allow those fears to paralyze us.
With my advocacy, I want readers to know that you don’t have to have a big platform or even a connection to an organization to make a difference in an animal’s life. If it’s not fostering or adopting, it could be spending an hour or a day taking a dog for a walk, or sitting in a cat sanctuary at a local animal rescue. There are so many ways to make a difference to give animals a second chance. Be a voice for the voiceless.
