It is a sign of responsibility and compassion to adopt a dog. There are millions of great dogs in local shelters, and they all deserve a good home. Celebrities, most likely, can afford to purchase any breed of dog, but many of them go the adoption route. Here are some of them:
- Sandra Bullock adopted two Chihuahuas–Ruby, who has only two legs, and Poppy, who has three legs.
- George Clooney brought home Einstein, a hound mix.
- John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife, adopted a pure-bred Cannan dog who was named Friday. After their untimely death, Friday was sent to live with a family aide in Portugal.
- Brian Williams, the NBC newscaster, has Lucy, a 13-year old rescue.
- Author J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame, adopted a 6-year old Greyhound, who she named Sapphire.
- Jane Lynch, star of GLEE, has three adopted dogs – Francis, Greta, and Garbo.
- Actress Charlize Theron has rescued eight dogs over the years. She now has Buddy, a rescued mixed breed.
- Camilla Parker Bowles, wife of Prince Charles, adopts Jack Russell terriers.
- Selena Gomez adopted a 10-week old husky mix, even though she already had five other rescue dogs.
- Actor David Arquette adopted Dallas, a basset hound who was scheduled to be euthanized in a Detroit shelter.
- Orlando Bloom saved a Saluki mix he named Sidi from the streets in Morroco while shooting a film.
- Drew Barrymore adopted Flossie, a Chow/Lab mix, who she credits with saving her life by alerting her to a fire in her home. She also has Douglas and Oliver, a shepherd mix.
- Actor Jake Gyllenhaal adopted two dogs from shelters – a German Shepherd he named Atticus Finch after a character in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and a Beagle/Pug mix named Boo Radley.
- Actress Jennifer Aniston, of Friends fame, brought home a Pit Bull/Boxer mix puppy, who she named Sophie.
- Bradley Cooper rescued a German Shorthair Pointer, named Samson, who died at the age of 13 in 2010. He has since adopted a Chow/Retriever mix named Charlotte, who was found living in the streets.
- Denise Richards, actress and reality TV star, adopted Chocolate Chip from the North Shore Animal League in New York.
- Matthew McConaughey adopted an Australian cattle dog, who he named Foxy.
- Actress Selma Blair brought home a Parson Russell Terrier mix she named Wink. Wink came from the Lange Foundation in California.
- Actress Kate Bosworth found a dog who was living in the streets while shooting a movie in Morocco. She named her Lila and brought her home.
Many celebrities are true animal lovers and are supporters of animal rescue organizations. They help raise awareness of the need for adoption, and donate funds to help the shelters care for the wonderful animals in their care who are waiting to be taken to a forever home of their own.
You can join the ranks of these celebrities by adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue organization. Many people who have rescued dogs will tell you that those dogs seem to know they have been saved and are grateful, loving pets.
Photo: Courtesy of csztova via Flickr (CC by 2.0)