Christopher Meloni Uses his Dog to Teach Kids About Tolerance

The Law & Order star wants his children to "accept things that are different"

When Christopher Meloni took his family to choose a rescue dog, he passed by the puppies and the prettier pooches. He wanted a dog they could really help. Luckily, he found one in Frida.

“She’s a cute dog, has a good disposition,” the actor told PEOPLEPets.com last week at the Pink Soiree 20th Anniversary Gala of Komen Greater NYC. “She had a broken foreleg that healed, but it healed badly. It’s usable, but she kind of gimps along on three legs.”

Though her injury requires extra care, Meloni says he wanted an imperfect pup so that his children, Sophia, 9, and Dante, 6, would learn tolerance. “We thought it was important that the kids see that life isn’t about perfection,” he explained. “It’s about caring for things, accepting things that are different.”

While Sophia and Dante are great with Frida, and enjoy taking her on walks through Central Park with dad, Meloni says one dog is enough for his family. “[The kids] will outgrow the dog, and they’ll want to travel,” he said. “I don’t want to have to put a dog in a kennel, or … fly it to where I want to go.” But for him, Frida will always be the one. “We just fell in love,” he said.

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