Photo: Meredith Jenks
As the practical half of the couple, Zosia Mamet‘s boyfriend, actor Evan Jonigkeit, convinced her that they didn’t have time to get a dog, as much as she wanted one.
“He was like, ‘It doesn’t make sense, we travel too much, maybe in a couple of years,’ ” theGirlsstar recalls to PEOPLE. “I had actually just come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to get a dog for a really long time.”
“But he’s an incredibly stealthy individual.”
Over “months” of planning, Jonigkeit visitedshelters and foster homesin search of the perfect dog for Mamet.
“He went toHudson Valley Animal Rescuein upstate New York, and she was the last of eight, and she ran out into his arms and hugged him,” Mamet says. “And he was like, ‘That’s our dog.’ On Christmas I got her with a bow and there’s a video of me hysterically sobbing.”
The now 2-and-a-half-year-old Moose “is a huge responsibility — it’s like having a child,” but entirely worth it for Mamet and Jonigkeit, even if Mamet did have to “single parent” Moose while Jonigkeit was away filming for four months. She even came on theGirlsset last-minute with Mamet one day.
“Oh my God, she was such a hit,” Mamet says. “She bounced around all day.”
And Jonigkeit, who’s “like a dog whisperer,” taught Moose tons of tricks to impress a crowd.
“She’s really smart,” Mamet says. “I think it’s the hound in her. You can tell when a dog enjoys doing tricks — she really wants to learn them.”
Moose even inspired Mamet, an already-vocaladvocate for rescue pets, to volunteer withBest Friends Animal Societyand encourage others to adopt.
“It was like Moose came and I wanted to save all the dogs!” she says. “I always loved animals, but it’s sort of what they say about having a kid. You don’t know until you do it.”
And Mamet’s dreaming of adding to her own dog brood — though Jonigkeit is once again staying practical.
“He says we can’t get another dog right now. I’m like, ‘She needs a sibling!’ ” Mamet says.
“Ideally I would like to have three. I mean, ideally I would like to have four, but for now…”
source: people.com
