In My Own Little Doghouse: Cinderella Star Laura Osnes Introduces Her Pampered Princess, Lyla

Broadway stars greet dozens of admirers daily at the stage door, but sometimes their biggest fans are waiting at home: their dogs! In honor of the annual Broadway Barks dog and cat adoption event (on July 13 in Shubert Alley), we reached out to some of our favorite pet-owning performers and asked them to spill about their loyal four-legged friends. Next up, Cinderella’s Tony-nominated and Audience Choice-winning headliner Laura Osnes reveals the TV character that inspired the name of the pup she shares with her photographer hubby Nathan Johnson and the piece of footwear that didn’t survive a night at the ball.

LAURA OSNES (Ella in Cinderella)

What is your pet's name and breed?
She’s a Chihuahua mix named Lyla.

How did your pet get its name?
Lyla is named after Lyla Garrity, a character on our favorite TV show, Friday Night Lights.

What is your pet's favorite pastime?
She loves to snuggle actually, but she goes bananas over these little rawhide bones. I think they’re supposed to last several days, and she devours through them in an hour or two.

Does your pet know any tricks?
Oh yes! She can sit, shake, lay down, roll over, dance and play dead. Now, we’re trying to teach her to stand up on her hind legs and “walk.”

What's the funniest thing your pet has done?
Lyla makes me laugh daily. Hilarious moments include chasing her tail in circles, post-bath speed-running around the apartment, trying to jump onto the couch and missing it, and burrowing all the way down to my feet and sleeping under the covers with me at night.

What's the naughtiest thing your pet has done?
When she was a puppy, she gnawed away on our friend’s $150 Steve Madden shoes, basically destroying them. Naughty girl. We felt so bad and obviously paid our friend back.

Do you look like your pet?
People say so. Yes, probably because Lyla’s so small and thin, and we have similar brownish hair!