Joey Graceffa, Josh Wolf, Kevin Fonteyne and Roy Disney—and their dogs
We are a dog-loving nation. Our pooches are our best friends and considered members of our family. Meet four men and their dogs who prove that nothing compares to puppy love.
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Photographed byMichael becker
We are a dog-loving nation. Our pooches are our best friends and considered members of our family. They wipe out our pocketbooks in mind-bending ways and onerously hog our free time. On the following pages, you’ll meet four men and their dogs who prove that nothing compares to puppy love.
Joey Graceffa & Storm
YouTube sensation Joey Grace is known to millions of viewers as the guy who makes goofy videos of things like taking a bath in expandable, multi-colored orbeez or covering his entire face in rhinestones.
When the camera is off, a chunk of his time is focused on his blue-eyed husky, Storm. The two- year-old shares Joey’s home with another husky, older “brother” Wolf, and Joey’s boyfriend.
“Storm thinks he is the pack leader. He wants to be known in his house. He is our problem kid,” Joey chuckles.
Joey, who was also a contestant on The Amazing Race, points to his dogs as a major factor in why he lives here. “I never saw myself living in the Valley to be honest with you. But when I started looking to buy, the Valley had so many more options, like a yard for a dog. Now I love it and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Joey describes himself as someone who “loves creating worlds,” and recently released The New York Times best-selling novel Children of Eden. Currently he is working on the second season of Escape the Night, a murder mystery series that he hosts on the subscription-based YouTube Red.
Groomed by Francesca Giamo
Josh Wolf & Rocky
Comedian Josh Wolf got his rescue, a pit bull boxer mix, a day after his son’s 10th birthday. “We went to one of those big, outdoor adoptions in Burbank. My daughter and I were looking at other puppies, but Beth (my wife) and the birthday boy zeroed in on Rocky. The rest is history.”
Josh describes Rocky as “the most gentle soul I have ever come across.” Now in his twilight years, “he just wants to be loved on.”
The Amherst, Massachusetts native got on stage for the first time when he was 15 and was immediately hooked. “I’ve always done stand-up. There was never a Plan B, even though maybe there should have been,” he laughs. Josh was a regular on E!’s Chelsea Lately and hosted the late night talk show, The Josh Wolf Show, on CMT.
The comedian lives in Sherman Oaks with his family. “I love the pace, the people and the fact that everything you need is a mile in either direction on Ventura Blvd.”
Most weeks you’ll find Josh touring with his stand- up routine. He also co-hosts a podcast with actor Fred- die Prinze, Jr. called “Prinze and The Wolf.”
Styled by Allison Rae Marsh
Roy Disney & Patch
Roy Disney bought his Toluca Lake estate in 1984 from his grandfather, Roy O. Disney, brother to Walt and co-founder of Disney Studios. “Walt was the creative one; my grandfather was more behind the scenes. He handled the finances.”
Little did the financial investor know that decades later he’d come to appreciate the property—not just as a home for wife Sheri and their 13-year-old son—but for the sprawling grounds where his two dogs, in particular, 11-year-old Patch, rule.
“When we adopted Patch, we were told he was a purebred Jack Russell. But we’re not really sure what he is,” says Roy, who serves on several boards including that of Campbell Hall, where his son is a student.
Catch the duo on a sunny spring day playing on the lawn, and it is easy to see that Patch’s pedigree is irrelevant. Roy’s affinity for the pooch is akin to that of a proud papa. “He is like a spoiled infant! But seriously, he is scary smart. You should see some of the stuff he does.”
Groomed by Cat Sherwin
Kevin Ponteyne & Zeus
After eight years of ups and downs, 26-year-old actor Kevin Fonteyne had his career take off last year when he snagged the role of Johnny Cash on Sun Records. Set in Memphis, the limited CMT series tells the story of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.
The New Hampshire native, who lives in a studio apartment, shares, “The last thing I needed was a dog.” But on New Year’s Eve when Kevin saw the part mastiff, part pit bull rescue at an adoption tent at the Gelson’s on Laurel Canyon “everything changed.”
“Essentially, I met him. He was just a puppy. He climbed up on me and I just thought I gotta do something,” explains Kevin.
Now the two are inseparable, whether running in Fryman Canyon or along the Wisdom Tree Hike .
He is currently awaiting word on whether there will be a second season of Sun Records. Either way, he’ll carve out time for Zeus. “He is much bigger but still pretty much a puppy. Endless energy,” he says with a smile.
Groomed by Cat Sherwin | Location: Sweet Butter Café
