The entertainer has two pups himself and can’t stand to see the beautiful, soft, loving creatures be abandoned.

“I’m a big advocate … for dispelling the myths that they’re vicious killers because they’re not, they’re the biggest, laziest couch potatoes,” he said.

“I’ve found homes for lots of [ex-racing dogs] so I’ve always got a house full of greyhounds.”

The topic came up when chatting about his gig at Dapto Leagues Club on Friday night, What a Life!

The 52-year-old is celebrating 30 years in show business with intimate tour dates around the country with a “mixed bag” of material.

McKenney will present hits from Prince and Bette Midler, share embarrassing moments, to comical banter about Pauline Hanson or Sonia Kruger.

He will open the floor for audience questions on anything and treat’s the chat as importantly as he treats the song and the dance.

“It’s kind of like a bit of a talk show all of a sudden, therefore each show is different,” he said.

“At the moment they’re all asking me what Pauline’s like because I’ve worked with Pauline quite a bit.”

The One Nation leader was drafted to sing and dance in his show after her feisty persona on Dancing with the Stars in 2004.

McKenney first jumped under stage lights around four-years-old at a concert presented by his mum’s dancing school in Perth.

In 1983 he left Western Australia to take up a role in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Song and Dance. But it wasn’t until 1998 when his portrayal of Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen shot him to fame.

“Only now I’m realising just what an influence he was, because to do the Boy from OZ I had to do a lot of research … and what I took away from that, without really knowing it, was how to talk to an audience,” he said.

“That skill is to really be honest, be yourself on stage.”

McKenney said that’s what he’s modeled his shows on because the audience appreciates it when performers are genuine and not pretending.

“I don’t do vanilla and I don’t like watching vanilla either,” McKenney laughed.

What a Life! Dapto Leagues Club, July 15, 8pm.

Peter Allen – The Piano Sessions, IPAC, September 24