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Curtis Brown Photography

Stepping into Dolly Parton's high-heeled shoes is a tough task, but when you have unconditional love from two adoring fans, the job gets a little easier. Or so Megan Hilty, star of the Broadway show 9 to 5, is finding. In a recent interview with PEOPLE Pets, the 28-year-old actress spills on her dogs' personalities, finding the perfect work-pet balance and why she doesn't mind picking up poop.

Do you think that having pets keeps you grounded, being in the entertainment industry?
Absolutely! There's nothing more humbling after a big gala event or a big opening or a fancy photo shoot than going home and picking up poop. It's funny – they're not children, and they're not my children, but they're the closest thing I have to children. I'm always thinking of them first. I schedule my day around them because they are my family.

How did your dogs come into your life?
Their names are Harley and Gracie, and they're two Jack Russell terriers. They're actually brother and sister. I got them in Toronto about two-and-a-half years ago – they're almost 3 years old. I was working up there, doing the tour of Wicked and had been wanting a dog for a long time. We went looking around and while I wanted to adopt a dog, in Toronto the Humane Societies are filled with pit bulls. I wanted a smaller dog since we traveled so much.

We randomly went into a pet store and looked in the cage, and there was Harley! He was this little tan-and-white puppy, playing with a ball. He was the only one who was awake. So I sad, "That's the one!" Then Gracie woke up from her nap and they started playing together adorably. And I said, "Uh oh, that's the one, too!" I was playing with them and holding them, and said, "Okay, I guess I'm getting two dogs!" And it was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made.

Is it hard to balance work with being a pet owner?
We have a very difficult schedule, but I have a dog walker, and I kind of schedule my days around my dogs. I get up really early so they're exercised and fed and happy, and when I can control my schedule I try to get home around dinner time so I can walk and feed them.

What are Gracie and Harley like?
I've always loved the breed, because they're like big dogs in little dogs' bodies. I'd love to have a big dog, but it's not realistic with work. These two have tons of energy and they're so smart, which keeps me on my toes! I'm always training them and exercising them. When we were living in Los Angeles, we were always at the pet runs at Runyon Canyon Park, hiking and going to the dog beach. It's a little harder to exercise them in Manhattan, but luckily my apartment here is right next to Fort Tyron Park near the dog run and the Hudson River, so we go on really long walks. We kind of feel like we're back in Los Angeles a little bit.

Do you perform for them at all?
I try to get them to sing with me! I wish they were part beagle so they'd howl along with me, but they don't do that. We have little talking matches, where we "talk" back and forth once in a while.

Since you travel so often with your pets, do you have tips for others in the same situation?
I try to make sure my dogs are on a schedule no matter what, no matter where we go. Gracie recently developed a slight anxiety about traveling on the freeway – I'd like to think it's not because of my driving! – so I do have a little natural sedative made with chamomile that seems to calm her. Harley's generally fine. I don't like to see my dogs in a panicked state, so I do advocate a little help to calm them down in stressful situations. Their little hearts can only take so much!

But they've been everywhere, on road trips from Los Angeles to New York City, Los Angeles to Seattle, Toronto to New York City to Kentucky. We just went back and forth from Boston a few times this week alone. So they're great travelers. As long as they have the same food and treats and walks at the same time every day, they're set. I find that that's helpful.

Kate Hogan