Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell have always advocated for animal rights and now teaching their kids to do so as well.
By: Heather Newgen
Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are not only devoted parents to their twin girls Dolly and Charlie, but to a house full of pets as well.
"We are avid animal rescuers. It's a real passion for us. Animals are front and center in our lives. We're very much outnumbered by pets to people in our home," Romijn told The Voluntourist at the Humane Society Gala in New York, which she co-hosted with her husband.
Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell speak on stage at the Humane Society of the United States To the Rescue! (Larry Busacca/Invision for The Humane Society of the United States/AP Images)
The couple, who currently have five dogs and one cat, revealed how their love for animals has been passed on to their girls.
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"Most of them are fosters. We got an email from a local adoption organization who said please take this dog. The clock is ticking so so said we'd take it temporarily and that was about 7 years ago," O'Connell joked.
"Our kids are already getting involved in animal rescue. They've been helping out with adoption events on weekends and loving it. They've really taken to it. They know a lot of their job is to pick up after the dogs. That's what the gig is," Romijn said.
"I'm sorry to say they haven't adopted a dog out yet, but they go to sites and set up the cages," O'Connell said, but "they sit in the pins with like six dogs and they walk around with them. It's the cutest I've ever seen," Romijn gushed.
She added, the problem is the attitude in our family is why we can't take them all in and Jerry has to pull us back sometimes. I used to say that to my mom as a kid and my girls inherited that from me. "Why do we have to stop at 5 dogs. There's like 10 more who need homes." To be honest Jerry might not even notice if I bring another home, the "X-Men" star laughed.
The Hollywood actors are thrilled to see their children so involved in animal rescue efforts.
"It's so amazing that our kids are understanding there's no greater feeling than giving back. It's so great to see them so into it so young. I'm really proud of our kids. It's really exciting to see."
The Humane Society of the United States Raises Over 2 Million Dollars at “To the Rescue!” New York 10th Anniversary Gala and Rebecca Romijn encouraged people to adopt.
"Whatever your dream dog is it's out there. If there's a specific breed you've had your heart set on they're a full breed dog out there that's waiting for a home."
Reporting by: Neil Frias