Mark Ballas and BC Jean Show Off Their Love—For Their Dog!—This Valentine’s Day

Dancing With the Stars Pro and Singer-Songwriter Encourage People to Adopt From Animal Shelters in New PETA Ad

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2019

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Cuddling up with their adopted dog, Hendrix, Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) pro Mark Ballas and his singer-songwriter wife, BC Jean, appear in a brand-new PETA ad that proclaims, “Adopt a Sweeter Way of Life.”

In an accompanying video, the couple—also known as the folk duo Alexander Jean—share that their pup goes on tour with them and is an essential part of their family. Jean says, “Hendrix was our ring bearer on our wedding day. He did a little bark during my vows at the perfect moment…. It’s like he knew that we were one big family: It was official.”

That’s why Ballas—who just wrapped up his Broadway run in Kinky Boots—says, “If you want to get a dog, if you want to save a life, if you want to make a real connection and friend for life, adopting is the way to go. It will change your life.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—notes that not every companion animal is as lucky as Hendrix. Every year, more than 6 million dogs and cats end up in animal shelters, and half of them are euthanized simply because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Countless others end up on the street, where they starve or freeze to death, are hit by cars, or face abuse at the hands of cruel people.

The couple joins a long list of celebrities—including many from DWTS, such as judge Carrie Ann Inaba, last season’s winner Sharna Burgess, former pros Karina Smirnoff and Kym Johnson, and former contestants Elisabetta Canalis, Joanna Krupa, Terra Jolé, and Jordan Fisher, among others—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.