Kaley Cuoco says teaching her daughter to respect animals is one of her top parenting priorities.
The Big Bang Theory star, 39, shared the parenting tip while attending an Oh Norman! adoption event with The Amanda Foundation in Los Angeles on November 7.
“My daughter Matilda... I call her Mowgli, doesn’t know life without dogs,” Cuoco told People. “She’s used to being knocked over and licked by them. It’s just part of her world, and I think that’s so important for kids.”
Cuoco added that she and her fiancé, actor Tom Pelphrey, often take their two-year-old to their horse ranch, where Matilda already feels at home among the animals.
“I want her to understand how to treat a dog, how to treat any animal,” Cuoco said. “We have to teach our kids.”
The actress, who founded the eco-friendly pet brand Oh Norman! in honour of her late rescue dog, shares her home with multiple pets. She says Pelphrey is just as much of a “dog person.”
“Thank God,” Cuoco joked. “I was holding my little Chihuahua, Opal, and said, ‘I think I want another one.’ He just said, ‘What’s another one?’ At this point, I could sneak one in, and he probably wouldn’t notice.”
Cuoco, a lifelong animal advocate, also used the event to remind people about the importance of adoption.
“There’s a national crisis with dogs being abandoned or left in shelters,” she said. “It breaks my heart when people go out and buy puppies. Please check your shelters first — you can almost always find the dog you’re looking for, and they’ll love you even more for it.”