It’s hard to find a Sutton Foster interview on the internet that doesn’t mention her pups.
That’s probably because when the actress isn’t filming the New York City-set series "Younger," or singing Broadway show tunes, she’s most likely devoting her time to finding homes for local rescue dogs or gushing over her own.
"I cannot imagine my life without Mabel and Brody," Foster, 44, says of her adopted dogs. In honor of Monday’s National Dog Day, when pups reign supreme, the actress is encouraging pup safety by teaming up with Autotrader to release limited-edition goggles that’ll help keep dogs safe as they cruise in cars with the windows down.
"Mabel and Brody each love their pair!" Foster, who plays Liza Miller in "Younger," says. Her passion for the dog-friendly accessory that’s probably only adorable to a dog lover isn’t unusual for the actress. "For this National Dog Day, Autotrader aims to shine light on dog adoption, which is a cause near and dear to my heart," by giving away the dog goggles on dogtrader.com through Sept. 12.
She’s often involved in local adoption efforts. In 2018, she hosted the Humane Society’s To the Rescue! New York Gala, helping to raise $2 million for shelter pups. Before that, she served as an ASPCA adoption ambassador and has been featured in branding partnerships with Petco.
"I’m so proud that all of my dogs have been rescues."
Her passion for pups began with her first rescue, a Shih Tzu named Linus, who died in 2014. She rescued her second dog, Mabel — a 6-year-old dachshund-Yorkie mix — in 2014 and her third, Brody — a 4-year-old Westie-poodle mix — about two years later.
Foster saved Mabel from a kill shelter in Houston, Texas, after she was rescued by New Jersey organization Pet ResQ. "They were both adopted when they were around 8 months old," explains Sutton, who splits her time between Los Angeles and New York City.
"Mabel is queen bee. She’s very cuddly and is always looking for someone to lie next to."
The regal member of her family has her own Instagram account and often finds her way onto set with the actress. She "loves" to spend time in Foster’s makeup trailer. "She will give anyone and everyone kisses."
Foster even serenaded Mabel in 2015 with her own rendition of "Maybe This Time" (changed to "Mabel This Time") after bringing her onstage during the New York Pops Concert at Forest Hills Stadium.
"Brody is a little more rambunctious," she explains of her third pup, adding that he’s "currently tearing apart his dog bed. He loves to chase after his toys and play in the yard — and jump in the kiddie pool to cool off."
Between filming "Younger" and prepping for her upcoming role in Broadway’s "The Music Man," starring Hugh Jackman, Foster probably doesn’t have as much free time as she’d like to spoil her pups.
Still, "every time I cook they get all the scraps. They love Brussels sprouts and broccoli and of course chicken."
The actress says if she were to have a weekend completely free of obligation, she’d pack up Mabel and Brody’s favorite toys and head on a road trip with her husband, screenwriter Ted Griffin, and daughter, Emily Dale.
"We’d probably drive out to our lake house — which is an hour outside the city — and play in my dad’s backyard. He has this giant grassy yard and Brody loves to run in the grass and play with the sprinkler and Mabel [would] sunbathe while Emily helps my dad in the garden."
Until then, Foster will be balancing stage and screen work. Her TV Land comedy-drama was recently renewed for a seventh season, making it the network’s longest-running original series. She says "as long as the writers have stories to tell, I’m game" to continue playing the Brooklynite who’s still fibbing about her age at Millennial Press.
"I’m a strong working woman myself, so I’m proud to be on a show that focuses on women kicking ass and being the boss in the workplace. And a show that’s also about female friendship and empowerment."
