#24. Selena Gomez
On top of being a very successful singing and actress, Selena Gomez loves adopting dogs. In fact, she has rescued six puppers in total, and all of them came from animal shelters. While the ex-Disney Channel star was on tour in 2012, she realized she missed her five dogs way too much.
Her then-boyfriend, Justin Bieber, thought it would be a good idea for Selena to get another dog while on tour, so she wouldn’t be so lonely. So, the young couple went to an animal shelter and got Baylor, a Husky mix dog who had several health issues. Selena and Baylor instantly fell in love with each other, and she gave her all the medical attention the little puppy needed. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
#23. Charlize Theron
If there is one celebrity who has a special connection with dogs, it’s Charlize Theron. The gorgeous actress is known for adopting stray dogs and filling them with love. When she decided to adopt a baby from her native South Africa, people wondered if she would have trouble raising the baby as a single mother, to which Theron answered that she’s already had enough practice with all her dogs!
Not only that, but her doggies, Tucker, Orson, Denver, Berkley, Pitt, and more, are the ideal babysitters. She said that her dogs are always present when she feeds her son, Jackson, and are constantly guarding him. If he needs anything, the dogs will instantly start barking to alert her, and always keep him company. How cute is that?
#22. Hilary Swank
Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank loves dogs so much she actually created her own foundation to help animals in need. When she was filming a movie in South Africa, she came across a tiny little stray dog, which she named Karoo, and the two instantly connected. They formed a bond so strong, that she adopted her right away.
The poor little pupper, however, was full of health problems, such as fleas, ticks and worms. She nursed Karoo back to health and decided she wanted to do the same for as many doggies as possible. Hilary founded The Hilaroo Foundation in order to help troubled youths and abandoned animals form a bond and help each other, and for them to be rehabilitated physically and emotionally. Sniff…is someone chopping onions here?
#21. Jake Gyllenhaal
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is known for his love of dogs. So much so, that he has repeatedly been caught by paparazzi carrying his dogs around like babies, which is extra adorable. His love for animals hasn’t always been there, however, and it was thanks to one of his most famous movies that he developed a strong connection with dogs.
After wrapping up the production of Brokeback Mountain, Gyllenhaal was a changed man. The movie made him change his view of the world, and it inspired him to take a homeless animal into his home. That is when he decided to adopt Atticus and Boo, which he named after the legendary characters of Harper Lee‘s To Kill a Mockingbird.
#20. Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel is known for being an animal advocate. In fact, she has participated in many campaigns against animal product testing. Therefore, the fact that she adopted two dogs from an animal shelter comes as no surprise, doesn’t it? When she felt she was ready to become a dog mom, the New Girl star went to The Bill Foundation to look for the pet of her dreams.
That is when she met Dot, an adorable little mutt, and the two connected instantly. She only had the intention of adopting one dog, but the animal shelter told her that Dot could only be adopted together with her sister, Zelda, because the two of them were extremely close and dependant on each other. Zooey quickly said yes, because she couldn’t bear to separate the two sisters. Now, the three of them are one happy family.
#19. Rachel Bilson
The O.C. star Rachel Bilson is not only famous for her acting work, but also for adopting many rescue dogs over the years. Her first famous rescue was Penny Lane, named after the iconic Beatles song, which she adopted with her then-boyfriend and The O.C. co-star Adam Brody. Although the two sadly broke up, they shared custody of their four-legged daughter.
Not so long ago, she rescued a big, fluffy pupper named Thurman Murman. The dog is so spoiled, that he loves being carried around by Bilson, even though he’s a little too big for that. She also got an even larger English Sheepdog named Lambert, who also loves being carried. Rachel might be tiny, but she seems to be super strong.
#18. Ryan Reynolds
This one is hard to believe, but before Blake Lively came around, Ryan Reynolds was actually married to Scarlett Johansson. During their marriage, Reynolds fell madly in love with a Golden Retriever named Baxter, which he instantly took home. Following his split with Johansson, Reynolds retained the sole custody of the pupper.
When describing their first encounter, the Canadian superstar said:
“I saw this big, dumb-looking Retriever staring up at me…I whispered to him, ‘Hey, let’s get the hell out of here.’ And he jumped up like he spoke English fluently. He came with me, he jumped in the car, and we’ve been best buddies ever since.”
He and Lively also have another rescue named Billie, which apparently had anger issues when they adopted her. The couple sent her to obedience training, and Billie is now a sweet, loving dog who loves her family.
#17. Jane Lynch
Actress Jane Lynch does not only rescue dogs, but she especially takes in dogs that have health issues and are thus rejected by prospective owners. Over the years, she has had many adopted puppers. Among them, were Lhasa, Apso, and Olivia. All of them are in dog heaven now, sadly, but Jane remembers every single detail about their time together.
Currently, she has three rescue dogs, Millie, Rumi, and Bernice. But one dog that really stole her heart was Arbuckle. In 2018, she adopted him after finding him in a shelter. Poor Arbuckle was riddled with severe health problems, but Jane did everything she could to nurse him back to health, and she even documented everything on his own Instagram account called All about Arbuckle. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it, but he had the happiest time of his life with Jane, who showered him with love. You’ll be missed, Arby!
#16. Kellan Lutz
Celebrity hunk Kellan Lutz is best known for his role as Edward‘s hot brother Emmett in the Twilight franchise. But under all that muscle, Lutz has a soft spot for animals and is an avid rescuer. In fact, he has worked with PETA in the Adopt, Don’t Buy campaign, encouraging people not to purchase dogs and adopt them from a shelter instead.
Kellan has two beautiful rescues: Kola and Kevin, and they’re seeing together almost every day. Although he loves both of his children very much, he has a special connection with Kola, who was his first rescue. In an interview with PETA, he said:
“I touched her toe and said, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’ She spoke to me.”
#15. Jon Hamm
Mad Men star Jon Hamm is mad about his pupper, Cora, who he and his long-time girlfriend, Jennifer Westdfeldt, adopted 12 years ago. The actor initially went to meet Cora to foster her temporarily, but when the two met, he knew he had to take her in forever. During all these years, the Shepherd mix has been his best friend, and he loved watching her grow up.
Thanks to his wonderful experience with Cora, Jon became an animal advocate and has contributed to shelters ever since. He has also worked with several organizations in order to encourage people to adopt and not buy animals and raise awareness on how important it is to offer love to an animal in need. Hamm has stated that nothing has affected him in such a positive way as having Cora by his side.
#14. Emma Stone & Andrew Garfield
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield met on the set of Spiderman in 2010 and fell in love. They quickly began a relationship and their romance made headlines. They solidified their relationship by adopting Ren, a rescue Golden Retriever. Right before Christmas in 2012, the couple decided to become dog parents and headed to several shelters in New York City.
After failing to have a connection with any of the animals, they finally found Ren. There was something about him that made him special, and the three of them instantly bonded. Sadly, Ren had been abandoned by his previous owners but won the lottery when the famous couple saw how special he really was. Although the couple broke up in 2015, they still love Ren very, very much.
#13. Kristen Bell
If there is one thing that Kristen Bell loves doing is rescuing dogs. The Good Place starlet has always had a passion for animals and has been very vocal about the importance of having a pet at home. She has also stated many times that pets should be treated as family members and not toys, and we couldn’t agree with you more, Kristen!
Although Bell and her husband, Day Shepherd have two human girls, Lincoln and Delta, Kristen always remarks that she has three daughters – counting her rescue, Lola. The actress has also partnered with fellow animal lover, Charlize Theron, for an Adopt, Don’t Buy campaign.
#12. Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom has always been very private about his personal life, but he can’t hide his love for dogs. Over the years, he has rescued not one, but two dogs abroad. The first one was Sidi, who he rescued while shooting a movie in Morocco. He spotted the stray dog on the street, and instantly felt he couldn’t just leave him there, so he took him home.
Recently, Bloom also shared how he rescued a dog while shooting a movie in China through his Instagram account. Through a series of posts, he explained how he spotted the poor doggy with serious injuries on her legs, and he took her to the vet. He actually helped shave, bathe, and bandage her! We don’t know if he took her home, but all we know is that he did an extremely good deed.
#11. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell is known for being a ruthless judge in reality shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, but when it comes to his two rescue pooches, Squiddly and Diddly, he’s the sweetest man in the universe. He adopted the two Terriers in 2013, and they have been the center of his world ever since. But those aren’t the only puppers he has rescued.
Earlier this year while vacationing in Barbados, he found Daisy, an abandoned doggy. He couldn’t resist her charm and brought her home. He also has a fourth dog, Freddie, who used to be his mother’s dog. After she passed away, he knew he had to take him home. Now, he enjoys his free time with his wife, son, and four pooches, and even does photoshoots for them!
#10. Anne Hathaway
Aside from winning Oscars and starring in hit movies, Anne Hathaway loves adopting animals. The Les Miserables star got her first dog, Esmeralda, 12 years ago. According to the actress, the brown Labrador helped her with her depression and changed her life forever. She and her husband, Adam Shulman, are usually spotted walking their pooch in Brooklyn, where they live.
in 2014, the newlyweds decided to adopt another doggy, Edward, an energetic puppy who was more than happy to join their family. They decided to get him so that Esmeralda would have someone to play with, how cute is that? Also, earlier this year, they got yet another pupper, Kenobi, named after the Star Wars character.
#9. Miranda Lambert
People usually talk about crazy cat ladies, but if someone qualifies as a crazy dog lady, that’s Miranda Lambert – and that is a great thing!. The country music star has adopted a whopping six dogs who had no home. Although she has a pretty busy schedule, she is more than happy to dedicate all her free time to her babies and wouldn’t change a thing.
Her passion for animals is so strong that she actually founded the MuttNation Foundation, which is aimed at promoting and facilitating the adoption of shelter pets and responsible pet ownership. Although she has a career in the music industry, animals have always been one of the most special things in her life ever since she was little, as her parents also welcomed rescue pets into their homes.
#8. Josh Hutcherson
Sadly, there is a horrible stigma surrounding Pitbulls. It is commonly believed that they are aggressive, dangerous dogs that have no place at a family home, but this is absolutely not true. This false belief has left thousands of Pitbulls without a home because of their bad reputation. So what did Josh Hutcherson do when he heard about this? He went out and adopted a Pitbull, of course!
Tiny puppies are usually adopted instantly, but Driver was a Pitbull puppy that nobody wanted to take home. After 110 days of waiting for a family, The Hunger Games star showed up and adopted her. The poor little thing had two toes missing and a broken leg, but luckily she recovered quickly after getting surgery. Now, Josh and Driver are inseparable!
#7. Kaley Cuoco
When Kaley Cuoco isn’t busy making $1 million per episode of The Big Bang Theory, she spends time with her six rescue pooches, three of which are Pitbulls. Her first pup, Norman, changed her life and her view on the breed, which as we’ve stated before, has a terrible and unfair reputation. Not only does she adopt Pitbulls, but also elderly ones, because they’re the least likely to be adopted.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actress said:
“I was like, ‘Oh, my God. I’m obsessed with this kind of dog. I just found them to be so incredible. I realized what great dogs they were, and how horribly they were seen. And I just didn’t want that to happen anymore. So it became a passion.”
#6. George Clooney
George Clooney was always known as a heartbreaker, and people thought no woman would ever make him settle down. That was until he met Amal Clooney, who he married in 2014. However, Amal wasn’t George’s first love – Cocker Spaniel Einstein was the original Clooney charmer. The two became so close that they even did ad campaigns and photoshoots together.
After marrying Amal and having a gorgeous pair of twins together, the couple decided to add another four-legged child to their family: a Basset Hound named Millie. Lastly, they adopted a Cocker Spaniel named Louis recently. Now, the Clooney household has even more love to share.
#5. Amanda Seyfried
While she’s not busy making movies, Amanda Seyfried is the proud mom of Finn, who according to the actress, changed her life. They both share such a strong connection that she always takes him everywhere, even to television shows and interviews. She met her pooch on the set of the HBO series Big Love, and, ironically, fell in love with the huge pupper.
She initially took Finn home with the intention to find a home for him, but quickly realized that she was meant to keep him forever. Thanks to the influence Finn had in her, Amanda became an advocate for the Best Friends Animal Society and the National Animal Welfare and Fundraising Organization.
#4. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock has a special place in her heart not only for animals but for special needs pets. It is very hard to find homes for animals with special needs or health issues because people just rather have a healthy animal. Thankfully, there are people like Sandra in the world, who are more than happy to welcome these little blessings into their homes.
Sadly, Sandra lost her two rescues, Poppy and Ruby earlier this year, and it all happened in a couple of weeks. Poppy only had two legs because she had been in a car accident, and Ruby had only two. The two puppers had very special needs, but Sandra always made sure they had everything they needed. Although they couldn’t live very long lives, they lived them to the fullest and received more than enough love from their celebrity mom.
#3. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston is known for her deep connection to doggies. In fact, when her first rescue, Norman, passed away, she got a tattoo of his name to remember him forever. Over the years, she has adopted not one, nor two, nor three, but four puppers from different shelters. And when she got together with fellow actor Justin Theroux, the two became dog parents.
Although the couple never had human children of their own, they considered their four pooches their children. So when it was time for them to negotiate the terms of their divorce in 2018, they had to make arrangements for their dog children. The two are still in good terms and share custody of them. Aniston lives with three of them in Los Angeles, While Theroux took the fourth one to New York.
#2. Kelly Clarkson
We can’t think of a celebrity who dedicates more time and money to the care of helpless animals than Kelly Clarkson. The singer reportedly cares for -wait for it- over 30 rescue dogs! Thanks to the millions she’s made through her music, she purchased a huge ranch where she keeps all the animals. But dogs aren’t the only ones welcome in her animal paradise.
She also has 14 rescue horses, so her ranch is essentially an animal shelter at this point. Not only that, but she has two pigs and several goats as well. She has favorites, though. Puppers Bear and Wyatt are her dog children, and she loves them more than anything in the world. The only thing bigger than Kelly’s pockets is her heart!
#1. Bradley Cooper
If there is one thing Bradley Cooper cares about it’s his dogs. In fact, he has stated that they are his number one priority, and if a woman doesn’t like them, she might as well leave. His first four-legged baby was Samson, who was about to be put to sleep by the shelter. Cooper came just in time and saved Samson’s life, for which the dog was always grateful.
A few years later he got Charlotte, who he also adopted from a shelter. But the newest addition to the Cooper family is Charlie, who actually appeared on Bradley’s hit movie A Star is Born. PETA honored the star with the Inaugural Compassion in Film Award for casting his own dog in the movie instead of using a dog supplied by the notorious animal exhibitors of Hollywood.