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Scott Foley talks "Scandal" season finale and his love for dogs

Actor Scott Foley tells CBS News' Lauren Moraski about his character on "Scandal," his work behind the camera and teaming with Canine Companions for Independence
Scott Foley on "Scandal," directing and passion for dogs 06:40

Season 4 of "Scandal" winds down Thursday night, and according to series star Scott Foley, fans are in for a few surprises.

During a visit this week to CBS News, Foley said the show's writers leave things in a way that will provide a "wonderland of possibilities."

Call us intrigued. Very.

"What the writers have done in this finale -- they've sort of shaken everything up, conventions that you're used to. People will be moving to different positions and places and it's really going to allow for...an infinite amount of possibilities. They've really opened the door for themselves to this fantastic...wonderland of possibilities," Foley said of the hit ABC show co-starring Kerry Washington, Joshua Malina, Tony Goldwyn, Darby Stanchfield, Guillermo Diaz and Bellamy Young.

It was only last month that "Scandal" viewers were unsure about the fate of Foley's character, Jake Ballard, after a brutal stabbing. Was he getting killed off the show? Even Foley wasn't sure.

"They left it in [the stabbing scene], and I sent an email to [series creator] Shonda Rhimes saying like, 'Hey, should we talk? Do we need to have a discussion?" Foley said about his own fate on the show. "And she said, 'No don't worry. Everything is going to be fine.' And when it aired people were taken aback, as they should've have been. There were multiple, brutal stab wounds. How can you survive that? And in Shondaland it's amazing what can happen."

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Scott Foley and Frankie Scott Foley

With things on "Scandal" slowing down, Foley will have more time to spend with his wife, Marika Dominczyk, their three children and their new dog, Frankie.

About six months ago Foley and his family adopted a dog from a shelter in Los Angeles.

"When I'm away from her, it breaks my heart," he said about Frankie, adding, "I had a dog for 18 years -- Maggie May -- and she passed away last year. And I'm just a believer of having an animal around."

Which is why he's working as a spokesperson with the Heartguard Plus "I HEART My Dog" program to help raise money and awareness for Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that raises and trains assistance dogs.

"I made a love letter, a video for my dog Frankie, and I'm asking everyone to do the same, or at least go see the video that I made and retweet it on social media -- either on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram -- with the hashtag #IHeartMyDog. And every time somebody does that Merial, the maker of Heartguard, will sponsor $1 for Canine Companions for Independence. It's such an amazing non-profit," said Foley, who visited CBS News with Alf, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador and Golden Retriever service dog.

For more on Jake's relationship with Olivia Pope [Washington] on "Scandal" and Foley's work with Canine Companions for Independence, check out the video above.

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