I turned vegetarian after 9/11. A friend of mine came back from New York and said that he couldn`t stand the smell of burnt flesh. It immediately reminded me of a barbecue. - On her decision to become a vegetarian.

We were in Brooklyn and we stopped by a neighbor`s house ... there were these dogs there and I guess they had puppies, she was going to keep one but said she may have to put the rest to sleep if she couldn`t find homes for them, so if we knew anyone that wanted puppies to let her know. I asked what she meant by "putting them to sleep", so I asked and my mom being as subtle as possible said it means they are going to kill them. So we took home one named Pluto.

Animals, they are one of the most beautiful gifts we have and, you know, if there are people that have compassion, there are very few people that put their money into animal rescue organizations. And if there is someone that has that passion, animals need all the help they can get.

Alyssa`s favorite saying is "It`s nice to be important, but it`s important to always be nice."

"Every time I decide I want a child I get another pet. I have 3 dogs, 13 birds and 3 horses, what does that tell you?"

"I`ve always believed in experiencing everything in life. When you walk out with blinders on, you cut yourself off from the angels and the fairies."

Her favorite saying is "It`s nice to be important, but it`s important to always be nice."