Trista Sutter: Jake and Vienna Were Not a Good Match

Trista Sutter wasn't that surprised that fellow Bachelor alums Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi split. "I was not necessarily a Vienna fan during the show," the first Bachelorette tells TVGuide.com. "I didn't think they were a good match." Sutter, who has two children with her husband of six years, Ryan Sutter, is trying to find good matches for some friends who are near and dear to her heart: pets. The self-professed animal lover has teamed with Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart to raise awareness about homeless pets. See why the campaign is important to her and what she thinks of the current season of The Bachelorette.
TVGuide.com: How did you get involved with the campaign?
Trista Sutter: Purina and Kroger contacted me, and it's a great campaign where they're going to be giving $150,000 to 18 animal-welfare organizations around the country, trying to raise awareness for getting these pets that are in shelters into homes. People can go to the site and vote for their favorite pet tales. All of these 18 animal organizations have submitted a pet tale. I submitted my pet tale and others can do so. You can vote until July 31.

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TVGuide.com: What would people be surprised to learn about homeless pets?
Sutter: Last year, 3.7 million animals were euthanized, which was actually quite a bit more than were adopted. The statistic is staggering to me. If they have room in their hearts and in their homes for an animal, please consider [adopting]. [Pets] give you so much joy and companionship. It's a wonderful thing to do, not only for them, but for you as well. If you're not in the position to adopt, you can volunteer at your local shelters. I'm sure they're always looking for time and energy from people. You can also donate animal food, pet food, toys, chew bones for the animals.TVGuide.com: When did you get your dogs?
Sutter: I got Tank about five years ago. I really, really wanted a Yorkie. I went to L.A. and it was a really bad trip. I got home and Ryan greeted me at the airport with this little guy who was 2 pounds at the time. It was the best present I've ever gotten. Tasha is a Siberian husky. She's 11 now. Ryan had her before we were married. He actually got her on the side of the road. I wish I knew her when she was a puppy. She was the cutest little fluffball. She has the most beautiful eyes. I can't imagine my life without my dogs. We go on hikes all the time. They just love it.

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TVGuide.com: Do you plan on getting any more?
Sutter: We have two kids under 3 and two dogs, so time is a little hard to come by in our house! We're not thinking of getting another animal in the near future, but you never know. When the kids get a little older, I want to do something with our whole family to do volunteering because I think it's really important to teach to our kids. That's one of our goals — to teach our kids to help out with animals because our kids love animals.TVGuide.com: What do you think of The Bachelorette this season?
Sutter: Well... Justin, where do I start with him? [Laughs] I cannot believe he wasted people's time! Second of all, I actually as a viewer was really satisfied that those phone messages were recorded and played for us. For once, one guy is lying and he won't be able to get out of it! It's great evidence!TVGuide.com: Who do you think Ali's going to choose? Or who do you want her to choose?
Sutter: I like Roberto. I like Chris. I like Kirk a lot. The previews for next week show something going down with Frank, so I don't think he's going to be in the running anymore. I don't know who she's going to pick — I'm never good at predicting!

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TVGuide.com: Any thoughts on Jake and Vienna's split? Have you met them?
Sutter: I've met Jake. I have not met Vienna. I wish them all the best. That said, I was not necessarily a Vienna fan during the show. [Laughs] I tweeted a lot during [his season] about my feelings about her. ... From someone sitting on her couch watching the show, it just didn't seem like they were a good fit. It didn't seem like they were meant to be, but I do wish them happiness.TVGuide.com: You and Ryan are one of the few success stories. Why do you think the show has such a poor track record?
Sutter: It's funny because that's not what we're really looking for! It's great. I like being a success story. Thankfully, Jason and Molly recently joined us as another one. It's good to have them alongside us. Jillian and Ed are still together, so we'll see. There may not be the best track record, but I feel like when you compare it to relationships you have in the real world, how many relationships do you go through before you find the one you want to be with? I think the track record is pretty good compared to what can happen in the real world.