Lisa Edelstein to be keynote speaker at Best Friends conference

Actor Lisa Edelstein, who plays Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the hit FOX hospital drama "House," is our kind of celebrity: an animal lover extraordinaire.

Lisa Edelstein, spokesperson for animals

Lisa is scheduled to give the keynote speech on October 25 at Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets Conference in Las Vegas.

In "House," Lisa spends her time managing the loose cannon, Dr. Gregory House, whose bridge-burning personal style is offset by his medical genius.

At home, she corrals and manages a goofy senior dog named Wolfie, who has had cerebellar hyperplasia since she adopted him as a puppy. Wolfie’s condition gives him a spastic-like gait that makes him all the more endearing. Lisa and Wolfie also share their home with an aging cat.

Lisa has been a friend and supporter of Best Friends since 2000 and is a knowledgeable spokesperson for animals.

On top of that, she has a big heart.

Adopting an older terrier and poodle mix

At a recent Pet Adoption Festival sponsored by Best Friends’ Los Angeles Programs, Lisa expanded her household by adopting a shelter dog, this time an older terrier/poodle who’d been overlooked by potential adopters all day.

"From her introduction to television as Lisa E on MTV’s ‘Awake on the Wild Side’ to her current role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on ‘House,’ Lisa Edelstein is no stranger to fearless roles," says a description of Lisa on the show’s official website. That’s also a spot-on description of people like Lisa who step up and help out for the animals.

Julie Castle, Best Friends’ director of Community Programs and Services, couldn’t agree more.

No More Homeless Pets movement

"New ideas and new approaches are always a risk and require people to challenge convention. That’s the story of the No More Homeless Pets movement," she says. "We are really pleased that Lisa has agreed to join us in Las Vegas and share her experiences from an entirely different world. I know there will be a big take-away for those in attendance."

This year’s conference is bringing together more than 600 grassroots activists from around the country to learn the nuts and bolts of proven strategies and programs targeted at bringing about a time when there will be No More Homeless Pets.

Publicity photo of Lisa Edelstein

Attend an upcoming Best Friends conference.