Amanda Seyfried Details How She Talks to Her Young Kids About Pet Death: 'It's Tricky' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Amanda Seyfried in February 2024.Photo:Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Amanda Seyfriedis open with her kids about “the circle of life.“In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the actress, 38, opens up about how she talks to her two children — daughterNinaand sonThomas, whom she shares with husbandThomas Sadoski— about thedeath of a pet.“It’s tricky,” Seyfried says before noting that she has “lost a few animals” while her 7-year-old and 4-year-old have been part of the family.Her kids are aware that Seyfried’s beloved dogFinnis getting older, theMamma Mia!star explains, “They know he’s an old man, and my daughter especially, she knows that things die, but you get a chunk of time with them, you respect them, you love them, you give them the best life they can have, and then they go, and you remember them.““It’s just like it’s the most positive spin that you can have,” adds Seyfried, who has partnered withSynchrony’sCareCreditandPets Bestinsurance.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Amanda Seyfried and her dog Finn.Synchrony’s CareCredit credit cardSeyfried and her husband — who met in 2015while starring in the off-Broadway playThe Way We Get By— live with their two kids full-time on a farm in the Catskills Mountains of New York.There, the family owns several chickens, numerous horses, multiple goats, and a donkey, according toThe New York Times.The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!For Seyfried, living with many animals has made the process of talking about death with her young children easier.“What I’ve learned living on a farm is that I’ve been exposed to a lot of death, and it’s helped me shape my relationship with it,” she says. “And I am almost positive that my kids will have a healthier understanding and appreciation for life and death because of the farm.“Amanda Seyfried in December 2023.Cindy Ord/GettySeyfried cannot believe that her beloved Australian shepherd Finn has justcelebrated his 15th birthday.“It’s insane,” theMean Girlsstar says. “I feel so lucky that he’s still alive and he’s thriving. Keep knocking on wood.“Seyfried is realistic about pet ownership and knows there can be difficult moments being a pet parent, especially when a pet falls ill and needs to visit the vet, which is where her latest partnership with Synchrony comes in.“When you pay with CareCredit, and you submit the form, they automatically reimburse you for everything that’s covered — it’s genius,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s crazy that this wasn’t something that was implemented before because when you really think about it, when enough people think about that moment at the vet, … nobody wants to be there, nobody wants to have to make these decisions for their pet, and everybody knows it’s going to cost them an arm and a leg.““They’ve simplified a crucial moment that is usually a moment of crisis or high stress for pet parents,” continues Seyfried. “This technology that they created, it’s definitely the first of its kind.”

Amanda Seyfriedis open with her kids about “the circle of life.”

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the actress, 38, opens up about how she talks to her two children — daughterNinaand sonThomas, whom she shares with husbandThomas Sadoski— about thedeath of a pet.

“It’s tricky,” Seyfried says before noting that she has “lost a few animals” while her 7-year-old and 4-year-old have been part of the family.

Her kids are aware that Seyfried’s beloved dogFinnis getting older, theMamma Mia!star explains, “They know he’s an old man, and my daughter especially, she knows that things die, but you get a chunk of time with them, you respect them, you love them, you give them the best life they can have, and then they go, and you remember them.”

“It’s just like it’s the most positive spin that you can have,” adds Seyfried, who has partnered withSynchrony’sCareCreditandPets Bestinsurance.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Amanda Seyfried and her dog Finn.Synchrony’s CareCredit credit card

Synchrony’s CareCredit credit card

Seyfried and her husband — who met in 2015while starring in the off-Broadway playThe Way We Get By— live with their two kids full-time on a farm in the Catskills Mountains of New York.

There, the family owns several chickens, numerous horses, multiple goats, and a donkey, according toThe New York Times.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

For Seyfried, living with many animals has made the process of talking about death with her young children easier.

“What I’ve learned living on a farm is that I’ve been exposed to a lot of death, and it’s helped me shape my relationship with it,” she says. “And I am almost positive that my kids will have a healthier understanding and appreciation for life and death because of the farm.”

Amanda Seyfried in December 2023.Cindy Ord/Getty

Cindy Ord/Getty

Seyfried cannot believe that her beloved Australian shepherd Finn has justcelebrated his 15th birthday.

“It’s insane,” theMean Girlsstar says. “I feel so lucky that he’s still alive and he’s thriving. Keep knocking on wood.”

Seyfried is realistic about pet ownership and knows there can be difficult moments being a pet parent, especially when a pet falls ill and needs to visit the vet, which is where her latest partnership with Synchrony comes in.

“When you pay with CareCredit, and you submit the form, they automatically reimburse you for everything that’s covered — it’s genius,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s crazy that this wasn’t something that was implemented before because when you really think about it, when enough people think about that moment at the vet, … nobody wants to be there, nobody wants to have to make these decisions for their pet, and everybody knows it’s going to cost them an arm and a leg.”

“They’ve simplified a crucial moment that is usually a moment of crisis or high stress for pet parents,” continues Seyfried. “This technology that they created, it’s definitely the first of its kind.”

source: people.com