98. A Pets Add Life Throwback: Amber Marshall on Animals, Acting & the Human–Animal Bond

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Speaker 1 (00:00):

Pets, add Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.

Speaker 2 (00:15):

Hello and Happy New Year and welcome to our first episode of Pets Ed Life in the year 2026. It's not our first time around the block, but we're back and better than ever I am one of your hosts, Chris Bonafide, joining me at least for this introduction. Here is Kristen Levine. Kristen, happy New Year. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (00:36):

I'm so glad that we are in the new year. I've got my resolutions all laid out.

Speaker 2 (00:41):

Any good ones?

Speaker 3 (00:43):

Yeah. My resolution is not to make resolutions rather to set goals.

Speaker 2 (00:49):

That's great.

Speaker 3 (00:50):

And it's a big difference. That

Speaker 2 (00:52):

Is a big difference. Yeah, that is a big difference. I dunno

Speaker 3 (00:55):

What it is, but I

Speaker 2 (00:56):

Don't see it yet. I think it's different. I'm going to try it anyway. It's different. Yeah. I've got a few New Year's resolutions myself. My biggest one is to be a more actionable part of the change I want to see in my life instead of wallowing and waiting for things to be different, which has been ineffective for the past 33 years. Imagine

Speaker 3 (01:20):

That. Imagine that. So you're going to be more manifesting your

Speaker 2 (01:24):

Yes active manifestation, not just thinking about it. Active, the year of active manifestation. So we'll be doing that and we've got a little bit of a special episode for you all this week. We're taking a little bit of a R off just a little bit, and we went back into the time machine and we plucked out one of our favorite episodes from 2025. And

Speaker 3 (01:48):

It was a fun interview too.

Speaker 2 (01:50):

Yes. Are you

Speaker 3 (01:50):

Talking about the, well, the interview, were you about to tee it up?

Speaker 2 (01:54):

Yeah, it was like the whole episode was you and Courtney Campbell sat down with this very special VIP for quite some time. I know.

Speaker 3 (02:04):

So you guys, we actually do have really big celebrities on the show from time to time, so we wanted to share it with you again.

Speaker 2 (02:10):

Yes. It's the interview with Amber, Amber, Amber Marshall. Amber Marshall from Heartland. From Heartland, an incredible little show. And Dr. Courtney Campbell and Kristen Levine had interviewed her back at Global Pet Expo. So a while ago, and we've played the episode, but we need a little bit of a breather here to start. So we're going to be replaying that interview for you all. Consider our top, pick our finest vintage from 2025. There you go. It's aged like a glass of Chianti. So we hope that you enjoy. We hope everybody's having a restful start to their new year and is hyperfocused on their goals, not resolutions.

Speaker 3 (02:54):

There you go. Welcome to the Pet's Ad Live podcast. This is such a special show for many reasons. Number one, we are again coming to you from the Global Pet Expo, which is happening in Orlando, Florida. Secondly, I have a special co-star guest, Dr. Courtney Campbell sitting in for Chris Baf.

Speaker 4 (03:17):

Well, this is a true honor to host with you, Kristen. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (03:21):

Of course.

Speaker 4 (03:22):

And like you said, this is a special episode. I won't give any spoilers because we're seconds away from announcing who is here,

Speaker 3 (03:27):

But

Speaker 4 (03:28):

This is going to be outstanding.

Speaker 3 (03:29):

Well, it is, and I tell you what, we talk to a lot of pet industry celebrities on this show,

Speaker 4 (03:36):

Like

Speaker 3 (03:36):

Your show for one.

Speaker 4 (03:37):

Okay, double Z List. Z list Celebrity. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:42):

But I think this might be our very first actual celebrity,

Speaker 4 (03:45):

Right? In the true of the world, like

Speaker 3 (03:47):

Real world celebrity. Alright, without further ado, let me introduce you, Amber Marshall. She is a Canadian actress, singer, and passionate animal advocate, best known for her portrayal of Amy Fleming on the long running CBC series Heartland. She was born and raised in London, Ontario and Ember's love for animals began at a very young age leading her to work as a veterinary assistant before pursuing an acting career. Now her role on Heartland, as you probably know, just really blends her acting talent with her equestrian skills and just have been captivating audiences since 2007 offscreen Amber resides on a ranch near Calgary, Alberta where she cares for a diverse array of animals. We were just talking about all of our different animal experiences, and I used to have a little teeny tiny ranch, and so I'm very envious of your ranch, Amber, which we'll talk about in a minute. But she also actively supports animal welfare initiatives such as the Canadian Animal Assistance Team and engages with her community through ventures like Marshall's Country Store offering western apparel and accessories. And I just learned she's also partnered with one of the companies here at Global Pet Expo. So we'll learn more about that. Amber, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 5 (05:00):

Well, thank you very much for having me on and fellow animal lovers. I feel like I'm in a great space here and I just feel so welcome. So thank you for that warm introduction. Of course. And I'm excited to dive into all the things that everyone here I think can agree on is that we just love animals.

Speaker 3 (05:18):

Yes. And it's evident by the vibe here at Global Pet Expo and so many people that get into the pet industry stay because it's just such a wonderful place to be.

Speaker 5 (05:29):

It is. And that's something people always ask me. You've been doing the same job for almost two decades, and are you sick of it? And I truly believe that animals are the reason I continually love what I do, because as we all know, people who are around animals, there's an energy behind them that you can be having a bad day and then you look at a dog or you look at a cat and you go, okay, my day's better. Right,

Speaker 4 (05:53):

Exactly.

Speaker 5 (05:53):

There's just this special connection between humans and animals, and I think when you have the opportunity to work with them, it doesn't feel like work. It doesn't, it just feels like you're having the best time of your life. And I feel that that's what has really kept the magic alive in what I do. And we'll get more into that as well. But I am just so blessed with the role I was given, and I think that having animals as a part of that has just really kept it going strong. Yeah,

Speaker 4 (06:22):

Absolutely. It's outstanding just because when we talk about bringing animals to work, there's so many studies that talk about the power of that and how it releases serotonin and it makes your job just feel better. But there's a different element when you're working with animals and you're both working with them in the sense that this is your job, but then off camera, the job doesn't stop. Talk to us a little bit about that dynamic where they talk about animals and kids. You get one take. So the question is, I have for you, talk to us a little bit about working with animals and your experience with horsemanship and how that works even off camera as well.

Speaker 5 (07:05):

Well, it's funny you talked about having the animals there when we're not filming as well. I think that there's an element that adds to the entire crew as a whole is having these animals on set. And there's kind of a funny thing. Most of the ads and the people on set joke that if you can't find Amherst, she's with the animals. And you look at some actors and it's like, where are they? Oh, they're hiding in their trailer. They're wherever they might be. I'm usually in the middle of a horse field sitting in the grass just hanging out with the horses. And I find that that's a very calming environment for an industry that can be quite the opposite. And that again, has really, in my opinion, kept me sane over the two decades that I've been doing this show because it can be a very fast paced, emotionally demanding, just people are at you all the time. It's like, here, let me fix your hair. Let me touch your clothes. There's just people all around you. And I find that my sanctuary is when I'm just with animals and not people. Now you did mention

Speaker 4 (08:05):

Two decades. I'm curious about the evolution, right? You talk a little bit about where your sanctuary is, but I'm picturing you, at least I'm picturing myself actually in your position saying, when I first get there, I'm not sure how much I can do that. Was there an evolution there for you?

Speaker 5 (08:22):

I have always been so drawn to animals from a very young age. I was fortunate in my life. My parents allowed me to have dogs and cats and rabbits and horses and all kinds of things when I was a kid. So this has been a part of who I am since I can remember. And so I do believe that animals also give you a sense of comfort and understanding of a new situation because animals don't judge you. And so if you're feeling a little bit out of place, they might pick up on that and say, Hey, it's okay. I got you. I'm here. And so I find for myself as an actor, that's a very vulnerable place to be, right? You're asked to perform in front of people that you don't know. You're asked to expose emotions that you would normally hide from strangers. But having animals there gives you that groundedness.

Speaker 5 (09:09):

It gives you that sense of comfort. And so I remember my very first days on set. I was 18 years old, and I was feeling like, okay, now I'm in front of a whole group of 75 strangers watching me have to expose emotions that I usually keep hidden. And there was a horse with me in that scene, and I just remember looking at the horse, looking into their eyes and just thinking everything else just melted away. There was no people there anymore. It was just me and that animal. And I was able to access all those emotions because I felt like I was in a comfortable place. I was with a creature that didn't judge me, that was just like let it go. And I think that it would've been a very different situation for me if there weren't animals involved in that show.

Speaker 3 (09:52):

Absolutely. Talk to us about any of your roles outside of Heartland that did not involve animals.

Speaker 5 (09:58):

They weren't as much fun,

Speaker 3 (09:59):

Obviously. I guess that's the end of that. You answered the question already.

Speaker 5 (10:02):

Yeah. No, I think that animals, again, are very much a part of my life and so is acting. And I've been able to combine the two for many years, which I'm very fortunate for. And some of the roles that I've been in have also involved animals. I did a show with a guide dog where I was training a guide dog. So being able to have a golden retriever looking up and smiling at you every day is also just such a great thing. But you're right, there's a very different vibe on a set that has no animals. And what I would describe it as would be a little bit more frantic on edge. People are a little bit more tense because I feel like you can't present those emotions when there's animals around because they go, what's going on? And there's alarm bells going off and they're saying, why is everybody yelling? Why is, and then they get stressed.

Speaker 5 (10:55):

And so that's one of the most incredible things about Heartland is you can always tell when there's a new member of the castor crew because their energy's different, and it quickly shifts when they realize that everybody else just has this calm demeanor because that's what animals do to you. And I've noticed that here in this very building, there's a lot going on, and I feel like trade shows and different conferences can get very salesy and pushy and things like that. I have not felt that here because I believe the animal presence. And you walk into a booth and there's a dog or a cat or a bird or a lizard or whatever it might be, and you soften. And I think that that's why I love animals so much is it doesn't matter your energy. Everybody is united by their demeanor. And I think that that's so cool.

Speaker 4 (11:45):

Yeah, no, I mean I am impacted every day by animals, as we discussed as a veterinary surgeon, they are the source of your relaxation and calm. But then these unfortunately can be the source of your anxiety and stress only because your goal is to help. And sometimes what you're finding is,

Speaker 5 (12:04):

Especially with what you do, I can imagine there's

Speaker 4 (12:06):

Right, and sometimes you find what you're doing is complicated and that can be a source. Is there a favorite moment that you have behind the scenes? And what I mean by that is animals for us in our lives are very much the highlight. And sometimes people aren't the best and then they're the low light. And so is there a highlight that you have that's behind the scenes that particularly is with animals?

Speaker 5 (12:33):

Oh my goodness, there's been so many over the years, and I think that there's moments in my life that animals have propelled me to a new understanding of myself. And I think that that's always important. We're continually growing and learning from our animals. And one thing that I feel is that people always say, how do you stay grounded? How do you stay connected to what you love and not just kind of drift off into the clouds? It can happen in this industry and a hundred percent it's my animals. I have no doubt about that. I come home from work and I'm cleaning pens and I'm feeding, and I'm doing all the things that really make me feel like I am here for them, but just as much as they are there for me, I get so much out of caring for my animals. A lot of people also say, oh, you must have staff that comes and looks after your animals when you're on set.

Speaker 5 (13:28):

No, because I have them, because they do so much for me, and so I want to be there for them. And that in turn is this connection that that's what I feed off of. That's what gives me just a sense of purpose and pride. And sometimes we were talking to how you can get carried away and collect a whole menagerie of creatures, and then your list of duties goes a little too long. So that's been the hardest thing for me is to balance and to be able to know that I can only take on what I can look after. And so I also love just bringing in friends animals too, that they're like, I don't have a place for this horse right now. Or I'm in between homes. I'm like, bring it over, bring it over. Because then I can still experience them and love them, but somebody else is temporarily is looking after them. And yeah, it's not like a long-term things. So that's where foster's so important and things like that for people who say, I really want to care for an animal, but I know that I'm only in this space for a year or whatever it might be. I'm like, foster, you can get that experience. And then a lot of them just fall in love with them and adopt them. Anyway. Guilty.

Speaker 5 (14:34):

I'm guilty as well, but I do, I think that the moments that animals give us shape who we are and talking about being on set, I think the most valuable moments for me are when I'm in a scene and it's scripted that I must do something and I'm going through the motions. And that horse or that dog or whatever it might be, actually does what's scripted, not because we told them to, but because what I'm giving them is naturally making that whole situation happen. And I think that's where the true magic is. And a lot of people that watch the show that have horses, they say, wow, that looks so real. That's so cool. And I was like, it was that join up moment that happened when I was driving that horse around the pen and then all of a sudden it turned in, it licked its lips and it walked up to me. That's real. There was not a trainer there calling it over and saying, okay, lick your lips now. And anyone who has that connection knows how powerful that is. And I think that that really on set when that happens. For me, it's just magic. It's like it's a partnership. It is.

Speaker 3 (15:40):

Right. And one thing I wanted to go back to, we were talking about a minute ago about pairing your talent and your interests with your love for animals. We see a lot of that in the pet industry where people's love for animals leads them into a career where they marry those two things together. You've grown up with animals, but I'm curious to know if you, did you know that you always wanted to have a career with animals or did it just kind of happen?

Speaker 5 (16:11):

I knew I always wanted to have a career with animals for sure, because they bring me such joy and everyone always says, do what you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life. And that is so true for myself. And I think many people in the pet industry, like you said, animals drew them into the role they're in. But I think the thing that's so remarkable, and I still look back and just am in awe of how this all came together, is that I loved acting, but I loved animals more. And I always thought that acting was going to be a hobby on the side, and then I would pursue a career with animals. Never in a million years did I dream that these two would just collide together and also have the longevity that they have because a lot of actors and people in the industry, you're lucky if you get a series for two or three years, let alone a couple decades,

Speaker 3 (16:59):

18,

Speaker 5 (17:00):

18. So for me, that's just remarkable. But I think to answer your question, when I was young, I wanted to be a veterinarian, so that was my, I was like, yes, I want to help animals. I want to be with animals. And when you're three years old, that's really the only animal career that pops into your mind because that is the career. So you're like, I want to help animals. I'm going to be a vet. So my parents were really great at pushing me towards those goals, and they said, if you want to be a vet, you got to start now. And I was 10 years old, and they're like, you need to go and you need to volunteer at the local animal shelter, and you need to go and work with horses and find out what kind of animals you want to help. I was just like, I'll help all the animals.

Speaker 5 (17:43):

And so I started doing those things. I started just volunteering at different centers and just getting all the hands-on experience I could, working and helping animals in the way that I could. And then when I was 14 and it was time for me to go get a real job, get out, go get a real job, I was like, oh, it'd be really cool to work in a vet clinic and understand exactly what I'm getting myself into, because I also thought if I'm going to spend all this time in school and I'm going to pay a lot of money to get there, is this what I really want to do? And so I submitted my resume to every vet clinic in the city, and as a 14-year-old girl, everybody said, no, I'm sorry. I love your ambition, but you're too young. And so then my parents talked and then I was devastated.

Speaker 5 (18:27):

I'm like, I'm never going to do it right. Then there was a vet clinic beside my high school. My parents said, why don't you go in and just ask if they need someone to just clean dog kennels after school? I was like, okay, that's a good idea. I go in and I said, I'd love to just volunteer here. Would love, it's on my way home from school every day. Can I just come in and clean kennels and just, I love animals. I just want to be a part of it. And so of course they were like, sure, that sounds great. Nobody wants to come and clean poop every day. So that's where I started. I just would come after school, I would walk the dogs, I would clean kennels, and then I really made it my mission to prove that I was able to do this.

Speaker 5 (19:11):

So then I would would say, Hey, would you like me to answer phones? I'd like, well, I don't know. You're 14 years old and this is a vet clinic. And so I would start doing little things like that and I would, hi, Stony Brook Animal Hospital, this is Amber. How can I help you? And everyone like, oh, she's really trying hard here. I still got it. Can't say no. And so it was one of those things that I just made it my purpose to be the best volunteer I could. And then within a few months they said, okay, well we'll hire you on and here are your jobs. I was there for five years, and over those years, my jobs became a little bit more in depth and I was given more responsibility. And I think that I like telling that story because it shows people who have been let down or said, no, you can't do that. You're too young, you're too whatever it might be and say, yeah, but don't take no for an answer. If this is something you really want to do, then be persistent and be the best at that job you can be.

Speaker 3 (20:12):

Yeah. So Amber, if this whole acting thing doesn't work out for you, Courtney, you could hire her at your practice. I'll volunteer.

Speaker 4 (20:18):

She's got the steel down. It's still ingrained, just automatic instinctual. It's clearly had a huge impact on you, the show animals in general. And then you mentioned the longevity piece. I think that's probably the most understated aspect of your entire career is just the longevity. Talk to us a little bit about what you've seen the impact your show has had outside of you personally, outside of the set environment. Have you seen over the course of the two decades that this show has been in existence and you've been luxuriating in this awesome career, have you seen it had an impact on the outside world?

Speaker 5 (20:56):

A hundred percent. And it kind of gives me goosebumps just reflecting back on the numerous stories that people have told me, both in person and through letters and emails and such. But we all know that animals affect people in the most extraordinary ways. And I think those who don't have access to animals don't know what that feels like until that world is opened up. And those are the stories that I love the most are people who write to me and say, I've always loved horses, I've always loved animals, but I've never had the opportunity to be around them. And after watching Heartland and seeing the magic and the way that horses just really open your eyes to so many things, they've since gone and started volunteering at horse or rescue centers. They've started taking riding lessons and some remarkable stories. And one I'm going to include is my own grandmother.

Speaker 5 (21:50):

And at 80 years old, she'd never been around a horse before. She was watching Heartland, and she's like, you know what? This is something I want to do before I die. This is on my bucket list. And so at 80 years old, she started taking riding lessons very first time she's ever been on a horse, and she's now 93, and she comes out to my place in Alberta every year and we go for a ride. And I think that for me, that's a very special story because not only is it someone who's very near and dear to me, and I love her very much, but it's inspiring because there's so many people that are young adults that come to me, well, I didn't ride growing up, so I can't start now. I'm like, well, are you 80?

Speaker 5 (22:32):

I can tell you. So I think that there's a lot of inspiring people in the pet world, but having a television show that has so much reach and shows people time after time, what animals can do for the soul, and then being able to inspire them to go and find this for themselves, I think that that's really what people say. I do this because, and that's one of the things that really touches my heart, is that not only is this a television show, not only is this just my job, but this is a way for me to bring animals to the world and to show how impactful they are on our lives and how there's just something they do for the soul that you can't explain until you're around them.

Speaker 3 (23:14):

Yeah, that's so true. I want to talk a little bit about why you're here at Global Pet Expo. I know you didn't make the trip just to be here on this podcast. Of course I did. But just to remind our listeners, at Home Global Pet Expo is where new pet products are launched before we see them in stores or online. So what are you up to here at the

Speaker 5 (23:37):

Global Pets by Amber? This is something that, again, being an animal lover and being able to make a difference in the animal community is very important to me. And so I've partnered with Kani and we are coming out with this new innovative pet crate. And so I'm someone who, I have dogs. I've taken my dogs almost all over the world. I stay within North America usually, but travel and being in a safe space is really important for them. And I think having that place where they feel comfortable when they're in a new environment is really important. And so I've always crate trained my dogs, and whether they sleep in that crate, doesn't matter as they grow up, but I want to make sure that that's a space that they know is their comfort zone. Because no matter where in the world we are, they know if I go in there, I can go have a sleep.

Speaker 5 (24:24):

And it's the space I know. And so I also, we talked a little bit about this, but I love colors and making things pretty. And you don't just want a crate for your pet. You want something that you can look at and say, I love that color. It makes me happy. And that was the first thing that really sold me on this. I was like, wow, you guys are coming out with something that's so fresh. And I think that in the pet world, there's so many things that we've seen year after year. And so when we come to a place like this, we're inspired by the new innovative products. And there's so many things I've seen in the last couple days being here going, wow, I never even knew that existed. And this is so helpful. And I think that's why we all come together to learn what everybody else is inventing and creating. And so yes, if you get a chance, check out the Kani pet crates, and they're not for sale yet. So this is a brand new brand, brand new

Speaker 3 (25:20):

Ask. Speaking of the colors, I saw your Instagram post, I saw a beautiful green color and blue. So yeah, definitely eye catching and nothing like the traditional stainless steel

Speaker 5 (25:30):

Bark cra. Well, I think we all have our own tastes, and you see it when you go into a pet store and you see all of the choices of pet leashes and collars and everybody's drawn to something else. So I think that having the multiple color options is really cool because not everybody loves green. Not everybody loves blue. It's it's nice to be able to have that as a reflection of you and your pet.

Speaker 3 (25:55):

Amber, do you have any idea when they'll be available in stores

Speaker 5 (25:58):

Coming soon?

Speaker 3 (25:59):

Okay. Yes, yes. And spell the name of the company for folks? It's Kehlani.

Speaker 5 (26:03):

Yes. And so what I'll do is if anyone's following my social media, which is Amber Marshall Farm, I will put up a post about this and I'll keep everybody kind of updated because as the details come, I'll be able to release them.

Speaker 4 (26:19):

That's fantastic. I mean, you did mention leashes and collars and things like that. Why crates? Why did that?

Speaker 5 (26:25):

Well, everybody's doing leashes and collars. I think it's really important to have a base product that you feel confident about, and I would love to diversify and go into leashes and collars and toys and stuff in the future. But I think that this is something that really caught my interest because it's new. It's something that I was like, oh, that's different. And I think that's what catches people's attention too. If I was to come out with a pretty blue leashing collar, that's great, but there's a lot of those out there. And so I think just having that uniqueness is something that I was really drawn to and having a product, because like I said, I have large dogs, and so a lot of times if I'm going to somewhere on the beach or something where my dogs are going to get soaking wet, I'll have a crate tied in my back of my truck, I'll put my dogs in. I know they're safe there, they can dry off. And so having something that I know is safe and being able to have them with me I think was the most important thing for me.

Speaker 3 (27:20):

Oh, for sure. Normally on our show, we always feature two products. And so we've obviously just talked about the Kehlani crates. I know you've been really busy at the show, but have you seen anything else that's caught your eye that you want to share with the audience or, yeah, for me, I usually don't get to walk the floor until the last day. But has anything caught your eye that

Speaker 5 (27:42):

Yeah, I think there's a lot of products that I haven't seen in stores before, so you always are, anything that's new that's different automatically catches your eye. So the first product that I was like, what is that was a large dog wash and dryer where you put your dog in, it washes your dog, it dries your dog. It was by itself. By itself, automatically itself, yes. So I was like, I need a demo of this. No,

Speaker 4 (28:05):

Needed nothing. You have to put anything that's nice.

Speaker 5 (28:07):

So I was like, this is very interesting. So I had the full demo and I watched it, and the whole time I was thinking, I wish I had my dog here so I could try this out. There's so many things that you're like, this is really cool. It's a great idea. How would my dog respond to this situation? And so I think it's really great. There's been a lot of dog influencers running around, and it's, again, we talk about how the tone changes when there's animals involved, but just seeing corgis dressed up with sunglasses and multicolored outfits and all of these dogs that are just taking part in what you would normally see humans doing is just something that it takes you away from the sales attitude, right? It's a lot of fun. And I think that it softens people, and you can't help but smile when you see that you can't help be stressed when there's animals involved.

Speaker 4 (29:02):

Yeah, no doubt. I mean, I definitely smile. There's something unique that I smile about too, which is that the pet and vet world don't often talk to each other. There's a massive veterinary industry and a massive veterinary conferences that I'm lucky enough to speak at quite a few of them. But then you come to a global pet expo and you don't necessarily see a veterinarian footprint. And so there's something I talk a lot about, which is novel career paths. You said you wanted to be a veterinarian and everybody who's interested in animals, you don't have to become a veterinarian. Can you talk to us a little bit about the welfare aspect of animals on the set and either a veterinarian's role on the set or people who are in careers, animal health careers, and how they may work in the Hollywood industry?

Speaker 5 (29:50):

Yeah, no, and that's a really good topic to bring up too, because obviously, especially now more than ever, I feel like everyone's very conscious of animal welfare. Whereas many years ago, I couldn't have been in the film industry 30, 40 years ago because animal welfare was not even on the radar. And I think that now I'm proud to be in an industry where we respect animals as much as we do the actors on set. You talk about working with kids and animals. Well, it's very similar how they're treated on set because we have to protect them, not only because it's our duty, but also because they're not going to work if they don't feel safe, if they don't feel comfortable. And so for us on the show, there's young children, we treat them the same as we treat the animals because we want them to have fun.

Speaker 5 (30:40):

We don't want them to come to a place where they're scared or they feel uncomfortable or any of those things because we're not going to get the best performance out of them. And so it is a really unique situation to be able to work with kids and animals at the same time because their energy is very paralleled as well. And I talked about the general kind of consensus on set is that everybody has to be calm. There's nobody yelling, there's no frantic energy. Because soon as you start with that, the animals are upset, the kids are upset, the grownups are upset. So I think that for us, having a veterinary presence anytime that there's something, if we have to lay a horse down, if we have to do something that we're concerned about, just the wellbeing of the horse, we'll always have a veterinarian there just to monitor everything.

Speaker 5 (31:35):

But for the most part, we're working with these horses on a daily basis, and we have been working with the same horses year after year after year. So we know them, we understand them, and the horses get to a point where they know their job to a T. In fact, we all have marks where we stand. There's a mark on the ground. The horses know their marks. And I'm not just saying that. That is so cool. They will walk up to their mark and they'll stand on it and they'll say, okay, this is where I get to relax. This is my comfort zone. And they get so used to the crew and the cameras and the lights and everything else that they just feel like, this is my role. This is where I get to just hang out. And it's funny because the horse who played Spartan for many, many years, who was my character's main horse on the show, he's since retired because he grew up, he was five years old when the show started. Well, now he's in his twenties. And we recognized a couple of years ago that he was starting to get a little bit cranky

Speaker 5 (32:30):

Like some old men do. And he said, I've been doing this role for a long time. And he was always the most gentle, sweet, wonderful guy. And he loved attention. He loved pets. And near the end, he would kind of pin his ears a little bit once in a while, and I said, okay, guys, he's done. And I didn't want to take it to the point where he got so cranky that he would bite someone or kick someone or something. I was like, he's showing us these subtleties. We need to recognize them and respect them. And so he's now got the best life ever. He lives with one of the wranglers who's retired as well. So they retired together.

Speaker 3 (33:03):

Wonderful.

Speaker 5 (33:04):

And he's just spoiled. So I think that it's also really important for us, no matter what our industry is, to recognize the cues of the animals around us because they tell us. And so to be able to say, okay, this is enough's enough, or this isn't the right role for this animal, and that's not just talking about the film industry, but whatever it might be, we see some incredible service dogs and animal influencers and all of these wonderful creatures around here. And I think that we can recognize when they're enjoying what they're doing and when they're not. And I think it's up to us to say, okay, it's time to let them just retire, or they're having a great time and this is exactly where they're supposed to be. They're supposed to be.

Speaker 3 (33:45):

Yeah. Great point. I do want to talk a little bit about your advocacy work. I read that you're doing some work with the Canadian Animal Assistance team. What is that about?

Speaker 5 (33:55):

So we go into remote locations and spay and neuter animals that don't have access to veterinary care. And so there's a lot of areas, and people always say, oh, the dog population is out of control. There's all these stray dogs. And they go in and they collect them and try to adopt them out. And I love that. That's great. But why not start at the root of the cause? The reason there's so many animals and homeless critters running around is because they don't have the access to proper veterinary care. So I love Canadian Animal Assistance team because they go right to the root of the cause. They go into these communities and they say, we're going to spay and neuter all the animals in the area, as many as we can. And then there's not all the homeless animals that are running around because those animals have been, the problem is kind of nipped right at the source. Right, exactly. I

Speaker 4 (34:44):

Think it's so important to emphasize that these are well oiled machine operations. And these animals, although it's a high volume, they're still getting high quality care in terms of pain management, antibiotics, meticulous surgical technique and things like that. Is there a number that pops into your head as to the most you guys have done in a day? Not that it's about numbers necessarily, but sometimes you keep a running tally in the back

Speaker 5 (35:06):

Of your head. We did over a hundred in two days,

Speaker 4 (35:10):

A hundred in days, in two days.

Speaker 5 (35:12):

Wow. I should get my numbers correct, but I know it was because

Speaker 4 (35:15):

That's incredible.

Speaker 5 (35:16):

One of the dogs I have, she was 101, and she came in and this organization doesn't adopt out dogs, but there was something, she was astray and this pop, and I just remember saying, hold off, don't spay her yet. Because if I spayed her, I wouldn't be able to take her with me. And we went and we got written consent from the community that I could take this dog home. And so I adopted her. She was 101. Wow. So I know that those numbers, which is kind of cool, but also just to be able to offer veterinary care, it's some people of the community bring their animals in that might already be spay and neutered and they just want deworming and vaccinations and things that they don't have the ability to get. And so I think that's really important too, to help in a community where they don't have access to proper veterinary care.

Speaker 3 (36:08):

Amber, we have so many more questions for you, but I know that you have other things you have to do today. So I don't know, maybe we end off with for Heartland fans, is there anything you can, any sneak peeks or anything you can tell us we want to know about the future?

Speaker 4 (36:21):

Where do you see Heartland in the future?

Speaker 5 (36:23):

It's crazy because I'm from Canada, and so we have a different broadcast schedule than everywhere else in the world. So I don't know exactly the release dates and everything that's happening in the us. So the best thing, again, social media, there's lots of information online. But I love, one of the things I'm going to end with is that Heartland, a family show that's filmed in Alberta, Canada, and it has touched so many people around the world. We're in over 120 countries. And to be able to think that this little Canadian show that's about horses and animals and a ranch has touched so many lives to the point where people have traveled from all over the world just to come out and experience our area. And I think that, again, we talk about how connecting people with animals betters their life. It's enrichment for both the animals and the people. And Heartland has been able to do that for so many people around the world. And I do believe that's why they resonate with it is because it is, there's something about that connection that nobody can deny.

Speaker 3 (37:29):

Yeah. Well, and you're such an authentic example on the show. I mean, you were living the ranch life yourself and you just exude your love and passion for animals. And you're a great example of not only someone who's taken their talent and their love and paired it together for a career, but also just like you talked about all the ways that you've inspired others to get into horsemanship or to explore things with animals that they wouldn't have otherwise done. So

Speaker 5 (37:59):

Yeah,

Speaker 3 (37:59):

That's really cool. That's really cool. It

Speaker 4 (38:01):

Is really cool. I mean, just the depth and like you said, the authenticity and just the fact that you can integrate who you are in the show into where the person, the actor, and the show become one that's so rare. That's so rare.

Speaker 3 (38:15):

Super cool. Amber, we thank you so much for taking your time to be with us today. This has been a very special episode of The Pets Ad Life podcast. Our first real world celebr on Guys. Hey, maybe we can attract more celebrities now. The ams to go.

Speaker 4 (38:31):

She just broke the damn down. They're all flooding in now, right?

Speaker 3 (38:36):

Yeah. So be sure to make sure, if you're listening on the podcast, make sure you check out the Pets ad Live YouTube channel so you can actually see us all get to know us better on video. And Amber, thanks again for your time and enjoy the rest of the Global Pet Expo. Thank

Speaker 5 (38:51):

You. I will have been, and I have lots more to check out today. Awesome. So I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (38:55):

Alright, Chris, you missed a great show, but Chris will be back with us when his real job ends here at Global Pet Expo. Thanks so much for listening or watching Pet's Head Life.

Speaker 1 (39:06):

Pets Add Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products, and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bon, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.