Actress and author Sylva Kelegian has appeared in feature films, television’s most popular dramas, and on the New York stage. In the back of her mind she always knew that she was destined for unusual things, but little did she know that it would occur in the world of dog rescue.
“When I turned my life over to God and said, ‘Use me,’ it was like a plea to make me do something greater with my life. I never thought ever, in my wildest dreams, that this is what would happen to me.”
In her award winning book “Dog is God Spelled Backward”, Kelegian shares her experiences as a newlywed actress saving dogs and other animals. Her journey began shen she walked into a Manhattan veterinary clinic for the very first time to volunteer and walk a dog. Despite never having owned an animal of her own she adopted a strawberry blonde puppy named Sammy. From that day forward she became immersed in the world of dog rescue.
With no prior experience of rescuing, she took each day and dog, one step at a time and learned along the way. She has since rescued over 500 dogs, horses, birds, and more in need of a loving home. In her book readers encounter selflessness, compassion, and sacrificial efforts to fulfill a task she’d unexpectedly taken on. Kelegian recounts experiencing a sense of rejoicing after rescuing each dog, having formed a deep kinship with each of them, and then being able to place them in a forever home. Yet even with that sense of completion she found it a challenge to hold on to that feeling for more than a moment.
“It’s always a great feeling, but it’s like a domino effect or quick sand where it’s never done. The minute I would put a dog in a great home, I would walk out and say ‘great’ but then my mind would go on to rescuing the next dog, so it’s not like I could ever really savor it.”
In God Spelled Backwards, she recalls her days of balancing her marriage and a successful acting career, all while rescuing hurt and abandoned dogs. Her days of rescuing included finding dogs on the street, receiving tips from people in the community, and approaching owners who were mistreating their pets.
“I’ve had all kinds of reactions, my husband is always saying, ‘you’re going to get yourself killed,’ because I’m not an angry person, but I go from zero to one-hundred when it comes to a dog.”
With the rescues she vividly details in her book, readers take away inspiration from Kelegian’s story, and may end up feeling prompted to make a change. She notes that every little bit counts, you just have to start somewhere.
“Anybody that wants to help an animal or volunteer, I would say start small, go to your local shelter, go to your local rescue group, pick up poop, walk a dog, just something small to start to get your feet wet. It’s one of the most fulfilling things you’ll ever do in your life. They animals give you unconditional love which this world needs especially right now.”
Now that Kelegian has found this “unusual calling” of hers, she continues rescuing dogs from time to time, and also seeks and uses other platforms to raise awareness. She is currently focusing on pre-production of an independent film titled“Unleashed”with Alison Eastwood and Steve Spiral. The script is a dark comedy which she wrote herself about Hollywood and the rescue world. Given the richness of her book, we very much look forward to seeing that story on the big screen. You can find out more at this website www.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Jodelle Maglaya
- Photography
- Vic Polizos
