WHAT MADE ACTOR DANIEL HENNEY

Daniel Henney recalls getting a constant nudge in his stomach that kept telling him he is being called to do “something meaningful” but he couldn’t figure out what that was until fate answered the question for him. Henney, best known for his roles on Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Big Hero 6, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine was filming a TV show in Seoul, when the actor learned how restaurants were offering dog meat on the menu. “I was shocked,” Henney tells Pet Lifestyles Magazine, “and it affected me in so many ways, I cannot describe.” It was at that moment Henney knew what he was destined to do but, he just needed to find the right partner to make it happen. As luck would have it, The Human Society International (HSI) was looking to collaborate with a well-known public figure in that region. Since Henney was an A-lister in Korea who also spoke the language, a partnership was born

Henney immersed himself in this cause and learned about why this practice is still occurring in the 21st century. “You have to go back and re-read history,” Henney tells PLM, “Eating dog meat was born from a time of the war when people were facing famine and occupation in the country, and this is how they fed their people. Unfortunately, no one has done away with it so it’s still happening today.” In the ten years the actor has been collaborating with HSI to ban this practice, Henney tells PLM, “I have seen big changes taking place such as transforming these meat farms into blueberry farms and gaining support from the younger generation.”

SPREADING THE MESSAGE
Another way Henney is spreading this message to a larger audience, is by hosting the annual To the Rescue! gala supporting the animal protection work of Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City which took place on November 1st with a special appearance by actress Amy Sedaris. This year’s event shined a spotlight on the work Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States is doing to end the dog and cat meat trades in various parts of the world, including in South Korea, China, Indonesia, India and Vietnam. Henney’s determination to use his celebrity powers until this matter is fully eradicated resulted in HSI raising over two million dollars at this event!

A LIFELONG DOG PARENT
Henney has not only rescued dogs from these meat farms, but he has also been a dog owner since he was a little boy. “I grew up in a small town in Michigan of 900 people.” Henney tells PLM, “We were the only Asian people so there were moments when I felt like an outsider. My dogs were my only source of friendship.” Henney’s love for dogs continued to grow as he became an adult, which is why it was important for him to be surrounded by his four-legged besties when he was not portraying make-believe characters on a movie/television set.

Cue in Roscoe and Juliette, two Golden Retrievers Henney and his wife adopted from two different meat farms. “Rosco was the sweetest boy,” Henney shares, “He was very open and accepting to Julie, as we call her, when we decided to add her to the family. Roscoe,” Henney goes onto say, “was stuck to her, which was very good for Julie as she did not know how to bond because she was tied and locked in a steel crate and would only be allowed to come out for breeding for puppies.” Although Henney gets chocked-up revealing the cruelty Julie experienced, he breaks out in laughter when he adds, “After Roscoe met her, he loved to jump on her, hug her, lick her, sleep on her, he taught her how to shake, ask for food and he was a great big brother.” Although Roscoe passed away in September 2024, Henney says Julie is thriving despite her limitations to develop and grow properly because of the abuse she endured when she was a puppy.
I have had a lot of stress over the years and Frankie Beans was there. At one point in my life, I got sick with Celiac Disease, and it was Frankie Beans who would sit with me on the floor when I was in so much pain. He never left my side or walked to the door to signal he needed to go outside. He just stayed with me, and I credit that dog with saving my life. Goose is like that too, which is why I get so much joy from my animals. 

Henney who spends six months out of the year shooting his latest fantasy series, Wheel of Time in the Czech Republic tells PLM, “I make sure to Facetime my wife and dogs every day and watch videos of all their funny shenanigans. I also have a house on Lake Michigan where Julie and I go for walks on the trails, the dunes and her favorite, play catch the ball in the forest.”