"Smart" Move: Amy Smart Launches Initiative to Help Pets in Need

While the Supreme Court has just heard arguments regarding the Affordable Care Act and President Barack Obama's goal to ensure affordable and accessible health care to all Americans, actress Amy Smart, the ASPCA and PetArmor® have pledged to make affordable health care a reality for pets across the country.

According to a recent survey, more than one third dog of owners cannot afford preventative health medication or treatment to ensure their furry friend is safe and healthy. Because of this devastating statistic, Smart has joined with the ASPCA and PetArmor® to launch the PetArmor®Protection Promise, presenting an easy way for pet owners to help animals in need, especially those pets in shelters across the country.

“When I got the opportunity to team up with [the] ASPCA and PetArmor®, I loved that they’re giving affordable health care to pets now and pet owners can now afford to treat their animals,” said Smart. “And on top of that, up to 20,000 treatments they’re donating to ASPCA shelter animals. So, the animals in the shelter are really benefiting from this initiative.”

PetArmor® is a “generic” flea and tick treatment that contains the same number one veterinarian active ingredient, offering comparable protection to leading flea and tick treatments for about half of the cost—helping to ensure that needy animals around the country are able to receive this necessary medication.

Smart, who is known for roles in films such as “Just Friends” opposite Ryan Reynolds and most recently a recurring role on the hit Showtime series “Shameless,” is a long time animal advocate, volunteering with the Best Friends Animal Society for over 10 years.

Her love of animals has been an inherent characteristic dating back to her childhood. Smart told Petside, “I always grew up having dogs and I had a cockatiel my whole childhood. I was never allowed to have cats growing up because my grandmother was allergic, so as soon as I moved out, I got two kittens and now they’re 16.”

But for Smart and husband Carter Oosterhouse, their two dogs Oscar and Slim and two cats Yogi and Nala are more than just pets—they are part of the family. 

"To me a family is having animals in it, so I couldn’t imagine not having animals," says Smart. "It’s a constant reminder of what matters, just the pure simplicity of sharing love with another being.”

It is that love for her own animals—and animals in general--that truly sparked Smart’s desire to become involved with the ASPCA and PetArmor®.

Partaking in photos with the adorable adoptable puppies and kittens with the ASPCA, Smart expressed (as a mother of adopted pets herself) her strong support of rescuing pets from a shelter rather than buying a pet from a breeder.

“I would say, if you’re looking for an animal, always start at the shelter,” Smart says. “There are the most incredible animals there; they’re so diverse. If you didn’t find an animal at one shelter, there are so many other shelters in one city. Sometimes people want breeds, and I get that, but you can find a lot of breeds in the shelters.”

Smart, the ASPCA and PetArmor® also encourage fellow pet lovers to do their part in order to help pets in need. Whether adopting one of the many adorable shelter animals looking for a forever home, or donating time and money to animals in need, it is important to help those who cannot help themselves.

To do your part in keeping the PetArmor® Protection Promise, “like” PetArmor®’s Facebook page and click on their Protection Promise tab where you can donate a flea and tick treatment to shelter pets in need.