While most of Hollywood celebrities can be seen strutting around town with a high pedigree canine in tow, there are some who actually got their pets from animal shelters.
Check out these 10 celebrities who are avid rescuers and animal lovers.
1) Jake Gyllenhaal
The Brokeback Mountain star once said in an interview that he was never fond of animals. After making the movie with deceased actor Heath Ledger, he realized that he’s ready to get a dog. But, unlike any actors who want champion dogs or canine from great breeds, he decided to get his first pets from an animal shelter.
He fell in love with two dogs – a German Shepard and a Puggle. Gyllenhaal named them Atticus and Boo, respectively in honor of the iconic characters from To Kill A Mockingbird.
2) Ryan Reynolds
The Green Lantern actor said that initially, he was looking for a dog to help his friend. But he fell in love with a Golden Retriever they saw in the shelter and has decided to rescue him and bring him home instead.
In one interview, Reynolds said that when he saw the canine staring up at him with big, innocent eyes, he whispered to the dog, “Let’s get out of here.” Jumping with joy and as if he understood English, the pooch went with the actor and they’ve been best friends ever since.
3) Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield
This ex-couple initially fostered the Golden Retriever they discovered in a shelter. At that time, Stone already had a dog when they added Ren to their family. After completely being smitten by the pooch, Stone and Garfield decided to adopt him.
4) Bradley Cooper
The Hustle actor seems to be an animal lover ever since he was young. But, unlike any other pet lover, he likes adopting pets from shelters. His first rescue was Samson, a huge German Short-Haired Pointer, which he discovered in a kill shelter.
After his successful relationship with Samson, he then adopted Charlotte, a seven-year-old mix breed of Chow and Retriever, which he saw on the dangerous streets of Compton. He fell in love with her even when she has no bottom teeth and a little tough.
5) Josh Hutcherson
Most celebrities might prefer to get cute and cuddly pets but not this Hunger Games actor. Hutcherson adopted a Pit Bull puppy he named Driver after learning that he has been staying in the shelter for over 110 days.
What more, the poor puppy had two missing toes and an even nastier broken leg. After his surgery, the actor was able to get Driver home where he fit in perfectly in no time.
6) Amanda Seyfried
The relationship of actress Seyfried and her Australian Shepherd Finn may be the sweetest puppy tale you can ever hear. She rescued the canine from a shelter and they have never separated ever since, even when he is being groomed at Petco.
7) Selena Gomez
This amazing Latina singer may already have five rescues under her belt but that didn’t stop her for adopting another one. Although the latest rescue was a product of her relationship with Justin Bieber, Gomez had full custody of the canine and they have been happily living together with all the rescued dogs in one roof.
All six dogs have unique and heart-warming stories but all of them were rescued from either a shelter, while shooting a film, or in the parking lot. Gomez has named her dogs Wallace, Fina, Chip, Willie, Chaz, and of course, Baylor.
8) Simon Cowell
In 2013, the then American Idol judge fell in love with two cute Terriers he named Squiddly and Diddly. While he may be a menacing judge on the show, he is actually a softie and a serious animal lover inside.
In one interview, Cowell turned into a cooing mother when he talked about his two puppies. Rescue or adopted, Cowell showed the world what it is to truly love an animal no matter where it came from.
9) Sandra Bullock
Bullock was able to rescue three dogs from the shelter and it gets better – all these canines have special needs! Bebe has a missing eye, Ruby is a bipod, and Poppy is a tripod but their condition didn’t stop Bullock from adopting them.
10) Jennifer Aniston
Besides showing the world that it’s an evil idea to buy puppies from pet stores, Aniston sets an example to all her fans that rescuing animals is the best way to get pets. Her German Shepherd Dolly joined the family in 2006 and her Pit Bull puppy Sophie was added only recently.
