18 Rescued Pets That Started to Live Happier Thanks to Celebrities

Knowing that our favorite celebrities have made the conscious decision to save an animal’s life and give it a safe home makes us admire them all the more. Our adorable 4-legged friends require a lot of attention and affection, especially if they had a rough start in life. And when these busy stars choose to shower a vulnerable pet with their love, this only attests to how big their hearts really are.

Bright Side adores when celebrities give us a glimpse into their private lives. Here are some famous people who made the world a better place by becoming proud parents of rescued pets.

1. Ryan Reynolds

The Hollywood heartthrob was at a shelter in Houston looking for a rescue dog for his friend when he first crossed paths with his Golden Retriever mix. After taking him for a short walk, the actor found it hard to leave the adorable pet behind, and this is how he spontaneously decided to adopt him. He described their encounter ’’like a very brief rom-com.’’

2. Jennifer Aniston

It’s no surprise that the actress who has been a long-time advocate for rescue animals is a proud parent of a few pets. She currently has 3 — Clyde, a gray Schnauzer mix; Sophie, a black and white Pit Bull mix; and Lord Chesterfield, a white Shepherd mix who joined the family in 2020.

3. Chris Evans

It was while filming the movie, Gifted, that the actor found his rescue dog, during a scene that took place in a shelter. You can get a sense of the adorable bond these 2 share just by scrolling through Evans’ social media.

4. Hilary Swank

The beloved actress has been volunteering in animal shelters and helping find safe homes for thousands of rescued animals for years. Her current pet family consists of 4 extremely adorable members.

5. Zac Efron

Zac Efron first introduced his 4-legged friend to the world in April 2018. It seems that the actor is a real-life hero who stepped in during a critical moment and literally saved the life of a pet who was going to be put down.

6. Taylor Swift

With currently 3 kittens sharing her home, we can confirm that the popular singer is a huge fan of cats. Her latest family member, Benjamin Button, pictured here, was even featured in the music video of her song, ’’Me.’’ Her 2 other kittens have equally fascinating names: Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey.

7. Dua Lipa

Singer Dua Lipa and her then-boyfriend, model Anwar Hadid, became the happy parents of Dexter in 2020. Just like any proud mama, she described her adorable black puppy as ’’perfect."

8. Arnold Schwarzenegger

With a donkey, a pony, and dogs on the property, we can say that Arnold Schwarzenegger keeps a mini-zoo around him. He explained that the ’’not-so-small’’ pets are allowed to freely roam around the house and be ’’all over the place.’’ They even interrupted a TV interview he was giving from home and came to him while the actor was on-screen.

9. Amanda Seyfried

The actress and her Australian Shepherd first met on the set of her series, Big Love, and the duo has built a strong bond ever since. Seyfried even revealed that Finn helped her manage her mental health. Her love for her furry friend is so strong that she’s even dedicated a social media account entirely to him.

10. Justin Theroux

The actor adopted his pit bull on June 8, 2018, and his life was changed forever. He confessed that his 4-legged friend made him become a better person.

11. Luke and Caroline Bryan

The American country music singer and his wife rescued the white furry pet from a kill shelter when she was being kept in a tiny cage.

12. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore’s initial plan was to adopt just one kitten. But once at the shelter, the actress and her daughters couldn’t decide on which cat to rescue, so they chose to take home 3 instead. This is how Lucky, Peach, and Fern joined the family. The actress has been supporting animal rights for years, and she also has 2 dogs, Douglas and Lucy.

13. Brooks Laich

The former Canadian professional hockey player and his rescue husky are inseparable. We can follow the special connection these 2 share on Brooks Laich’s social media. He even once described his 4-legged friend as the ’’bestest boy in the world.’’

14. Zooey Deschanel

It was love at first sight when the actress met Dot in a shelter. But when she’d been told that the puppy had a sister as well, it was clear to Zooey Deschanel that she would adopt both sisters and forever unite them in a loving home. She had first introduced her 2 rescue puppies back in 2013, calling them the ’’apples of my eyes.’’ Years later, it seems that the happy family is still going strong.

15. Liev Schreiber

The American actor and director first met Woodie and Willow in 2017 thanks to a TV show segment about animals displaced by a hurricane. Since the actor was also participating in the same episode that day, he fell in love with the brother-and-sister duo backstage and decided to rescue them both. Unfortunately, after Willow passed away, Schreiber decided to add another member to his rescued pet family, and this is how Scout joined them in 2020.

16. Chelsea Handler

The TV host and comedian adopted her 2 dogs in 2018. It seems that Chelsea Handler is a great fan of the Chow-Chow breed since Bert and Bernice closely resemble the 2 previous dogs she’s adopted.

17. Liam Hemsworth

The Australian actor evidently has a soft spot for dogs whose pictures he often shares with his over 13 million followers on Instagram. Over the years, he has adopted a large number of animals and also donates generously to rescue shelters.

18. John Travolta

The Hollywood actor and his 11-year-old son were inspired to adopt a rescue dog after meeting Betty White at the Betty White Oscars tribute. Travolta said of the late actress, “She was a woman who cared so much for not just her 2-legged friends, but for animals just like this.” He added, "So the greatest gift you could give Betty White is to open your heart and your home and adopt a rescue dog.’’

Do you have a pet at home? Have you ever considered the option of adopting a furry friend?