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2020 The Year in Dogs: Celebs to the Rescue

Jennifer Aniston

Did you foster, adopt, or lose a pet in 2020? We know the joy, and we know your heartbreak. Tell us about your pet and share pictures!

When the pandemic hit, the number of people who fostered or adopted dogs skyrocketed! Some of our favorite celebs took part in the canine craze.


Jennifer Aniston

Some say there's nothing cuter than a Labrador puppy. (Confession: this author agrees.) How about Jennifer Aniston posing with her new boy Lord Chesterfield?

Aniston rescued him in October and posted on Instagram that he stole her heart, and clearly all of ours too!

"A HUGE thank you to @wagmorpets for the incredible work you do. Grateful you take such great care of these rescues and find them their forever homes," the star wrote on social media.

Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas added a rescue pup to his pack this summer.

The star made the official announcement on Instagram, "Welcome to the family Panda! Panda is a Husky Australian Shepard mix rescue, and we're already in love❤️".

The actor and singer's fans also fell in love with Panda, the post got nearly two million "likes."

Sara Paulson

"Adopt don't shop" is the message Sarah Paulson wrote to her Instagram followers this Spring. The actress showed off her cutest, fluffiest new family member.

"Winnifred- Winnie T. Paulson has made the sunshine on this rainy day and completely captured our hearts. Thank you @pawworks, for making a long-held dream come true," she wrote.

And seriously here, inquiring minds want to know how the dog DNA test came back on Winnie? This author is thinking this adorable pup might be a Chi and black German Shepherd mix? The fluff though, maybe a touch of Golden Retriever? You never know what unneutered Casanova snuck over the back fence in rescue!

Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne spent the beginning of quarantine saving lives. The actress posted on Instagram, "Fostering these cuties during quarantine, and you should too! 🐶🐶 Thank you @thelabellefoundation."

So many rescues and shelters rely on fosters. What does it mean to foster? It's usually a short-term commitment. A dog or cat stays with the foster while the rescue gets the pet medical care the animal may need. (The animal welfare group usually pays for this.) Then the pet is posted for adoption and goes to their forever home.

The more animals that can be moved out of shelters to fosters means fewer animals will be euthanized. That's why fostering is key to saving lives.

Selena Gomez

And as Selena Gomez found, you can be the one to adopt your foster dog. The star started fostering Daisy in the Spring and decided to keep her. She was one of many celebs posting on social media as the pandemic hit about the importance of volunteering in animal rescue.

Now Daisy is quite a star!

Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler and his wife were all smiles when they adopted a puppy from Austin Pets Alive this year. The organization is one of Texas's largest animal welfare groups and helps save thousands of dogs and cats a year. This pup is going to have a great life.

The Emmy Award-winning actor shouting out on his Instagram page, "The new pup! Adopt Don't Shop! @austinpetsalive"

2020: "Furever" In Our Hearts

2020, the year of so much loss and heartbreak. Celebrities who lost their beloved dogs shared their grief and tributes on social media. Some stars also found room in their hearts to adopt another pooch.

Miranda Lambert, Waylon

Miranda Lambert's beautiful Golden Retriever died in October. You can feel her sorrow when you read her Instagram tribute. "Today I lost one of my best friends. My old pal Waylon. I found him and his sister on the side of the road in Oklahoma in January 2008. They were abandoned, starving and freezing nearly to death."

The country music star nursed the dogs back to health, and Waylon, with his soulful eyes and gentle face, lived another 13 years. Her post nails that unbreakable love we have for our dogs. "Dogs change your life. The bond is something that can't be described unless you have lived."

Reese Witherspoon, Pepper

Reese Witherspoon's adorable French Bulldog, Pepper, passed away in October. The Hollywood star wrote on Instagram, "My goodness, she was such a loyal and devoted family member. I am so heartbroken, but I am also deeply grateful for all the love and comfort she brought our family. Now she's in dog heaven where all great pets go."

Reese's daughter, Ava Phillippe, brought some joy into their family and rescued a pup. "What a wild & bittersweet week," Ava wrote on Instagram. "The day we lost Pepper just so happened to be the day I brought this sweet boy home with me..."

The new dog is Benji. Ava adopted him from the @bestfriendsanimalsociety sanctuary in Southern Utah. She says he's a dream of a rescue dog and quickly adjusted to his new home.

Orlando Bloom, Mighty

No one is ever prepared for the moment you lose a dog; it literally rips your heart out. After Orlando Bloom lost his labradoodle Mighty, he shared his pain on social media.

"I have wept more this week than I thought possible, which has been very cathartic and healing..." The actor got a tattoo of Mighty's name over his heart.

In November, the Lord of the Rings star started fostering a pup. He posted on Instagram he might just be a foster fail, the best kind of failing there is!

If you want to foster a pet, most rescues give you first dibs on adopting the animal. This cute fluffy pooch named Buddy caught the actor's heart. In the post's comments, Bloom posted, "can't see me giving him up."

Watchdog Mary, Solly

He might not be a celeb dog, but he was notorious. Just ask the neighbors. This author lost her beloved adopted black Lab, Solly, King of Mischief. The neighborhood will never be the same.

2020, we're having a calendar burning party this year since we can't even go out for New Year's Eve, and we can't wait for you to end!

Did you foster, adopt, or lose a pet in 2020? We know the joy, and we know your heartbreak. Tell us about your pet and share pictures!

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Watchdog Mary

Watchdog Mary is a TV and print journalist watchdogging for animals who's won 17 Emmy, eight Edward R. Murrow, and Associated Press awards. She was also nominated for six awards by the Dog Writers Association of America.

Watchdog Mary is a TV and print journalist watchdogging for animals who's won 17 Emmy, eight Edward R. Murrow, and Associated Press awards. She was also nominated for six awards by the Dog Writers Association of America.