The Pets of Southern Charm

By: Dan Krosse
Photography: Jennifer Cady

No one can deny that Southern Charm is the Holy City’s most talked about TV show. Airing on Bravo, the reality program centers on the ups, downs and drama surrounding a group of friends who live on the Charleston peninsula. Locals love to buzz about seeing “this restaurant,” or “that part of town” in the program – but Carolina Tails was fascinated by the cameo appearances of the cast members’ pets! We chuckle every time we see these four-legged actors scurry around in the background, giving a startled glance or disapproving “meow” at the antics of their humans. Once, a main storyline saw Patricia’s dog receive acupuncture! So do the cats and dogs “steal the show?” We asked the cast of Southern Charm and found all of them to be big animal supporters:

Patricia Altschul:

“One of the things that the cast of Southern

Charm did was to raise quite a bit of money for Caitlyn the dog and create awareness about Charleston being a No Kill Community. Growing up I always had dogs, cats and horses. I’ve probably had over twenty rescued animals and I just think animals enhance your life in every way and I cannot imagine life without animals. When we tape the show, sometimes my dog makes an escape and will run into a scene and I just pick him up and sit him on the chair next to me. It’s fun. Right now, I have Whitney’s boxer Smoochie, because he is traveling and doing other shows. My two Pomeranians are Siegfried and Roy. The Lagotto Romagnola is Monte. I have a pug named Chauncey and a cat named Ashley.“

Landon Clements:

“I am a foster family for Charleston Animal

Society. My first foster was an Australian Cattle dog and it was actually for a family that had to relocate or something, so I just had him for a couple of weeks and she was able to go back to her family. So it was great. It’s not always a long-term commitment. The great thing about fostering is, you have so much support from Charleston Animal Society. Whether it’s the vet bills or if you do have to go out of town, there are people there that are able to help you and you are able to give somebody a home that needs one. My dog is Charlotte who just turned 11. She’s a miniature Eskimo. We’ve always had animals in my family growing up and they just make life better.”

Craig Conover:

“My family has a one-year-old golden retriever,

whose name is Fenwick. The first time I ever met Fenwick was filming last season and then this season he makes another guest star appearance but I would notice the cameras tend to be on him more then me because they are just so entertaining. And then, Naomie and I have a, I don’t know what kind of cat it is, he looks like a baby lion and his name is Gizmo. He’s a little fluff-ball.”

Naomie Olindo:

 “My cat Gizmo is a rescue and he is like the best

thing that has ever happened to me. He taught me responsibility. I travel with him. He rides in the car with me. He goes on the boat. He has been paddle boarding. He is kind of like a cat-dog. When I see him on the show, it’s like being proud of your child. When my mom met my dad, he was 36, single with eight cats (laughter) and she married him anyway and so we always had animals and also grew up with horses. I think our pets have just as many feelings as we do. When people say ‘it’s just a dog,’ I completely disagree. It’s not just a dog, it’s like a family member.”

Cameran Eubanks:

“I do not have any pets. I have been married for

almost two years and I am still begging my husband everyday to get one. He is deathly allergic, so whatever we get will have be hypoallergenic. If I ever need an animal fix, I just come over to Patricia’s house because it is like a zoo over here and I also joke that if I ever have to come back, I am going to come back as an animal and live over here. You know, they are living the life.”

Shep Rose:

Michael Kelcourse: “I don’t have any animals.

These are all Mrs. Altshul’s animals that I take care of. My Min-Pin died last year after 10 years and $17,000 in medical bills. I had gone in to rescue a cat and this little dog had been there for seven months and I felt so sorry for it because it went to sit in my lap and I said to them ‘I can’t leave without this dog.’ Animals are the most important things in the whole world because they never disappoint you. In the show, they are always perfect, they are always on cue.”