The mantra “adopt, don’t shop” has gained traction in recent years. Rescue dogs are becoming more popular, and plenty of your favorite celebrities are on board with this trend.
But it’s not just a fad — Bob Barker signed off every episode of The Price Is Right by encouraging users to spay and neuter their pets. Because overpopulation in the animal community is a huge problem, and issues from irresponsible breeders to dog fighting can be combated by adopting a dog that truly needs a home.
These famous actors not only took in a dog from a shelter — they’ve given their pets all of the love in the world. Check out some of the luckiest pups and their obsessed celebrity owners.
16. Kaley Cuoco
Few people love animals as much as Kaley Cuoco. The Big Bang Theory star is also an equestrian, and owns horses, dogs, and even rabbits. She also supports a rescue organizations like Paw Works.
But no one steals her heart quite like her dog, Norman. She named her production company Yes, Norman Productions, and her Instagram handle is @normancook. Oddly enough, she gave her dog his last name before she met her husband-to-be, fellow rider Karl Cook. Clearly, this was a match made in heaven for all creatures involved.
15. Zac Efron
He stole our hearts long ago when he starred in High School Musical, but Zac Efron just keeps making us swoon no matter what he does. He makes us laugh in Baywatch, cry in The Greatest Showman and now, he’s given us yet another reason to love him.
Efron recently adopted a pitbull through humane pet shop Bark n’ Bitches in Los Angeles, and he rescued her just before she was put down. The actor immediately posted a video on his Instagram story of him teaching his new dog to sit, as well as sharing a photo where he revealed her name is MACA. Clearly, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
14. Sir Patrick Stewart
Captain Kirk is known for being a strong leader, but it’s pretty clear Sir Patrick Stewart is just a big softie. The actor has worked with the ASPCA on its #GetTough campaign against dogfighting, which led him to take in a foster dog through a Los Angeles rescue group, Wags and Walks.
Despite a clear connection and a lot of love over their well-documented journey together, Stewart and his wife, Sunny, ultimately didn’t adopt Ginger, the pitbull they fostered. However, they did use the opportunity to bring to light Breed-Specific Legislation, specifically in the U.K., and point out its issues. Even though they only had a short time together, we’re sure Stewart always love the pooch he helped to rescue.
13. Tom Hardy
He may have some experience playing a villain, but there’s no doubt in our minds that Tom Hardy is real-life hero. In 2017, the actor made a YouTube video dedicated to his rescue dog, Woodstock, telling the story of how they met and expressing how much his pup means to him.
Think that’s adorable? Go ahead and look at his Instagram, where you’ll see many photos of his other dogs, including Max, Blu, and Angel. He also shares fan art of his canines, and, get this, he once shared an image of a box of abandoned puppies he found, which he turned into a shelter to be quickly adopted, likely due to his celebrity clout. We’re staying tuned to see what he does next for dogs everywhere.
12. Ryan Gosling
Most actors leave their pets at home when they go to work, but not Ryan Gosling. The Academy Award-winning star has brought his dog George to set, to movie premieres, and even on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2011.
Sadly, George passed away in 2016, but his memory lives on. Gosling addressed his beloved pal’s death on Ellen last year, and even had a photo of him screened on to a T-shirt that he wore while hosting Saturday Night Live. It sounds like they were more like best friends than owner and dog.
11. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi
Speaking of Ellen DeGeneres, the talk-show host was likely sensitive to Gosling’s loss due to her own love of dogs. DeGeneres, along with her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, has a number of canine and feline companions, who are, of course, featured on her social media accounts.
In 2016, the couple adopted a dog they named “Kid.” As Ellen explained on her show, they did so because people often asked, “When are you and Portia going to have a kid?” Now, their questions have been answered, and DeGeneres and de Rossi have an adorable bundle of love.
10. Ryan Reynolds
The hilarious Deadpool star, Ryan Reynolds, has quite a brood with his wife, actress Blake Lively. They have a couple of dogs, including Billie, an Irish Setter who has, according to Reynolds, undergone some training to make her “a leash-free, stress-free, fur-covered badass.”
Along with their two daughters, Lively and Reynolds are also pet parents to Baxter, a Golden Retriever mix who, from the sound of it, chose Reynolds himself at the shelter. And the rescue dog apparently gets the royal treatment: Reynolds joked last year that he was living in the dog house while Baxter was “upgraded to the main bed.”
9. Kristen Bell
If she’s one of the Bad Moms but belongs in The Good Place, where does that leave Kristen Bell on the scale of morality? Considering her treatment of all creatures great and small, we think the scales tip in a positive direction.
After all, the actress has acted as a foster dog mom and an advocate for pet adoption, as seen in this ad for the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Los Angeles. In the video, she says she supports adoption because she wants “a family member not a handbag.” Her own rescue dog, Lola, seems to agree, as seen above.
8. George Clooney
For the last couple of years, all anyone could talk about when it comes to George Clooney is his marriage to Amal Clooney and the birth of their twins, Ella and Alexander. But Clooney’s actually been a dad for a while now — a dog dad, that is.
The esteemed actor and his barrister wife adopted Millie, a Basset Hound, from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society in 2015. They also have two Cocker Spaniels that Clooney adopted from Camp Cocker, and, in 2017, they donated $10,000 to help the rescue organization save a group of dogs from a backyard breeder. That is some serious commitment to the cause.
7. Amanda Seyfried
Mamma Mia, this girl does love her dog. Amanda Seyfried adopted her dog, Finn, while she was working on the HBO series Big Love. And he goes everywhere with her. Seriously — Seyfried has said that he is written into every contract she signs.
Not only that, but Finn is a star in his own right. He has his own social media accounts, and he acts in videos alongside his human mom, like this one for Vogue. Seyfried also supports rescue organizations in Los Angeles like Best Friends Animal Society.
6. Olivia Munn
Despite what naysayers may tell you, you can find purebred pups in the shelter. That’s exactly what happened when Olivia Munn adopted her first dog, Chance, at an event called Cause for Paws in 2014.
Not long after, Munn took home Frankie, a terrier mix, from Love Leo Rescue in Los Angeles. She’s also committed to helping dogs in another way — as an ambassador and creative strategist with Wag, a dog-walking app.
5. Ian Somerhalder & Nikki Reed
He may have played a cold, calculating vampire on The Vampire Diaries, but Ian Somerhalder might be one of the greatest animal advocates in Hollywood. His organization, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, helps animals in several ways, and that’s just the beginning.
Somerhalder and his wife, actress Nikki Reed have quite an array of pets. In 2015, Somerhalder said that they had nine total, including dogs, cats, and horses. You can see all of them make frequent guest appearances on his and Reed’s Instagram accounts.
4. Ruby Rose
After she played the mysterious Stella on Orange Is the New Black, the intrigue surrounding actress Ruby Rose increased considerably. And while we don’t know too much about the captivating star, we do know she loves dogs.
It appears as though Rose has three rescue pups, one of whom, Charlie, has been up to no good lately. Rose regaled her Twitter followers with the tale of how Charlie stole her dirty underwear from her laundry basket and discarded it in her yard. Who among us can’t relate to a little doggie mischief?
3. Meghan Markle
As she prepares to join the British royal family, Meghan Markle is a name you’ll see everywhere. And, as it turns out, she has something in common with her future grandmother-in-law: A love of canines.
In her post-engagement interview with the BBC, Markle explained that she has two dogs — both beagles — one who came to England with her and another who stayed back in Canada (where she lived while filming Suits). In the same interview, Prince Harry revealed that the queen’s corgis were quite taken by Markle. Sounds like they’re just like the rest of us.
2. Liam Hemsworth & Miley Cyrus
If you’re obsessed with rescuing animals, it helps to find a partner in life who feels the same way. While from the public perspective, Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus have occasionally seemed like a mismatched pair, both care deeply about helping creatures of all shapes and sizes.
Both of their social media feeds are filled with snapshots of their pets. Hemsworth, in particular, loves to share photos of him hanging out with his dogs. And they’ve got quite a crew — from what we’ve seen, it looks as they may have seven canines living with them!
1. Chris Evans
When he’s not busy saving the world as Captain America, Chris Evans is often making us laugh on social media. One of the ways he does so? By sharing photos and videos of his dog, Dodger.
Evans adopted his pooch after meeting him on the set of his film, The Gifted. He even shared a heartwarming video of their first encounter on Twitter for National Pet Day, in a post where he said, “Rescue dogs are the best dogs!” We agree!