Few Hollywood celebrities love dogs like Chris Evans. The Captain America star is the proud dad of a rescue dog named Dodger, and he’s often said adopting his furry pal was the “best decision” of his life.
Recently, Evans decided to give back and do something for the other shelter dogs who haven’t found homes yet, surprising the pups with love and treats.
In honor of National Dog Day this month, Knives Out actor recently paid a visit to the NYC-based shelter Animal Haven. “There are literally thousands of dogs waiting to be adopted all across the country, just like my dog Dodger,” Evans says.
The visit is sponsored by the dog food brand Jinx, who shared it on their TikTok page. Tiffany, the executive director of Animal Haven, gives Evans a tour of the shelter, and the actor gets to meet several adoptable shelter dogs.
The dogs come in all shapes and sizes: There’s Pippa, who suffered parvo as a puppy and has a “bum leg.” There’s Humphrey, who Evans says has a “perfect name” and is looking for a perfect home. There’s 9-month-old Akira, who arrived from Puerto Rico and is still timid around people.
Evans is then taken upstairs to an open area where people can interact with adoptable dogs, including a dog with wheels and a group of adorable puppies. Evans is having the time of his life giving the pets treats and showering them with pets.
Jinx is going to donate a year’s worth of dog food for any dog Evans met who gets adopted. In honor of National Dog Day, they are also donating 5% of all online purchases, according to People.
You can visit Animal Haven’s website for information about adopting any of these beautiful dogs.
@jinx Who’s cutting onions 🥹 Our fave dog dad dropped by @Animal Haven, an all-star rescue in New York City that’s been our Give Bark partner since day 1! 💚 #ChrisEvans #ThinkJinx #AnimalHaven #DogRescue ♬ original sound – Jinx
Chris Evans & Dodger
Chris Evans is a proud dog dad: he adopted his boxer mix Dodger in 2017, and the pet has been a big part of his life ever since. The two met while Evans was filming the movie Gifted in a real animal kennel.
“I foolishly walked in and I thought, ‘Are these actor dogs or are these real up for adoption dogs?’” the actor told People in 2017. “And sure enough they were, so I was walking up and down the aisles and saw this one dude and he didn’t belong there. I snagged him and he’s such a good dog.”
“I had no intention of rescuing a dog that day, but the minute I saw him I knew he was coming home [with] me,” Evans wrote in an Instagram post marking National Rescue Dog Day.
In an interview with BuzzFeed Celeb, Evans said that he imagined adopting a puppy, and never planned on taking home an older dog like Dodger. But after seeing Dodger, it was love at first sight.
“Dodger was a full-grown dog,” he told BuzzFeed, saying the dog was about 2 at the time. “It wasn’t the story I had in my mind but it ended up being the best decision of my life.”
Dodger has been such a big part of Evans’ life that he got the dog’s name tattooed on his chest. “I mean that’s probably one of the purest relationships I have,” Evans said in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October 2020. “[Getting my tattoo of his name] didn’t take much convincing. I’ll never regret that tattoo. I’ve regretted a few in my life, not that one.”
While Dodger is an older dog than Evans planned on, he was still quite a handful, as playful as a puppy.
“He acts like a puppy, he’s got the energy of a puppy, he’s just such a sweetheart, he’s such a good boy,” Evans told People. “He loves dogs, he loves kids, he’s full of love.”
“God dogs, they’re such great animals. I really can’t say enough about dogs, I’m a dog lunatic.”