Her TV character may have been switched at birth, but actress Katie Leclerc would never switch her beloved dog Gus for another pooch! The 28-year-old star of the ABC Family drama “Switched at Birth” found Gus online and knew right away that the Australian cattle dog was meant to be a permanent part of her life.
Born in San Antonio and raised in Lakewood, Colo., Leclerc discovered her passion for acting after playing the lead role in a stage production of “Annie.” Once her family moved to San Diego, she began booking commercials for major companies like Pepsi, Cingular and GE. She landed her first major television role in a 2005 episode of “Veronica Mars” and, after that, began scoring many more acting gigs. In 2011, she was cast as Daphne Vasquez on “Switched at Birth,” playing a hearing-impaired teenager who learns that, due to a hospital mix-up, the only family she’s ever known is not biologically related to her.
The 5-foot-4-inch star can relate to her character’s hearing problems — Leclerc has Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that affects hearing and balance, and causes her intermittent hearing loss and vertigo.
When not acting, Leclerc enjoys cooking, hiking and spending time with her real estate agent husband, Brian Stuart Habecost (whom she wed in September 2014).
In addition to “Switched at Birth,” currently airing Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC Family, Leclerc can be seen in the upcoming Hallmark Channel movie “The Confession,” which premieres Oct. 11.
Despite such a busy schedule, Leclerc found time to sit down with Headlines & Global News to brag about her favorite co-star — her beautiful dog Gus!
How did Gus come into your life?
It was kind of random. I had talked about getting a dog with my boyfriend [now husband]. He had an Australian cattle dog growing up, so we knew that’s what we wanted. He found a listing on Craigslist from a family whose dog had a litter. We drove down to their home and, when the owner came around the corner with him, we fell in love. We took him home, got him situated and, three days later, we realized he was deaf. We started teaching him signs right away and he knows about 15 now. You could say we’re proud parents!
What are some of his personality traits?
He’s a fun-loving, people-loving, adorable thing! He gets cranky when he is tired, like me, but we mostly play all day
What are some of the things he does that make you laugh or smile?
He gets so fierce when he plays tug-of-war with a rope. We can whip and drag him around the entire house and he won’t let go! He also loves to stretch.
Who does he demand the most attention from — you or your husband?
He goes to us for different things. I’m the rope puller, and he is the ball thrower. I think that has something to do with my horrible aim!
What is a typical day like for Gus?
He is an early riser, and I leave for work very early so that works nice. He goes for his walk or run then, usually, a nice nap to recoup. Then lots of rope, fetch and pets. I get home and take over on the petting and attention giving. Dinner, more rope and then bed. On weekends, we will go for hikes, or to dog parks or play with our friends’ pups.
What are some of his favorite things?
The dental treats are his favorite. He will take that and run to the other side of the house and gobble it up as fast as he can. He is a two toy kind of man — he loves to have a toy in his mouth and play soccer with a tennis ball all around the house.
Is there anything unique about his breed?
He was bred to herd cattle in Australia.
Does he ever go to the set with you?
He comes occasionally. It’s his favorite thing to do because he is the most popular guy there. Everyone stops by to pet and play with him, and I have a giant carnival-sized stuffed bear that he loves to play with. I keep thinking Daphne needs to have a dog because he has so much fun on set.
If Gus were to make an appearance on “Switched at Birth,” what would his role be?
I’m not sure. He could be a dog Daphne finds or he could be a hearing-ear dog. The writers would come up with something great, I’m sure. It just seems cool to see a dog who knows sign language!
What have you learned from having Gus in your life?
I learned how to sew! Some of his favorite plush toys get rips, so I quickly learned how to repair ripped ears.
What does he really mean to you?
I smile every time I think about him. He makes every day better.
Are you planning on bringing any more pets into your life?
Sometime, in the future, yes. For now, he never has a minute to himself — we keep him plenty busy and he keeps us with our hands full!
For more on Katie Leclerc, connect with her on Twitter or Instagram.
