We all know pets are an important part of our lives – and sure, sometimes some of us might just go a bit overboard in spoiling them! But as much as our paw-fect pups and captivating cats bring fun, happiness and mischief to our homes, pets also play a huge role in helping us regulate our mental health, and cope with life’s ups and downs.
Here, some well-known Hollywood faces chat about how much they love their loyal buddies – and how their animals have helped them through hard times.
Ellen DeGeneres
“I get home at the end of the day and I don’t want to talk… all I want to do is lay on the floor, and pet my dogs and cats,” says Ellen, whose love for her pooches is well-known. The comedy star has lent her profile to many animal charities and causes, and describes her affection for dogs in particular as her “favourite subject”.
Ellen, 66, says of her pooches Mabel, Kid and Augie, “I can’t imagine not going home to animals. They are the closest thing to God – they don’t harbour resentment.” In fact, she even has a full pet line, including accessories.
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil, 51, has had a lifelong obsession with dogs, and says the pooches he shares with husband David Burtka were immeasurably helpful for them and their 14-year-old twins, Harper and Gideon, during the Covid lockdowns.
“Having these sweet dogs that are able to cuddle with you and give you unconditional love is important,” Neil insists. “I’d like to think that having dogs makes you selfless enough that you just love unconditionally, and it’s this great back and forth because you can’t really teach them ramifications for things as you can with a child.” David adds, “There is something intrinsic about owning pets and loving your animals. I don’t really trust people who don’t love animals.”
Taylor Swift
Popstar Taylor’s affection for her cats is legendary – in fact, her adoration of Olivia Benson (named after Mariska Hargitay’s character on SVU: Special Victims’ Unit), Meridith Grey (Ellen Pompeo’s character from Grey’s Anatomy) and Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt’s titular movie character, who ages backwards) is firmly part of her personality.
Taylor’s turbulent love life and public persona has meant she’s relied firmly on her felines to help her cope with the pressures of pain – even proudly dubbing herself a “childless cat lady” in a protest against Republican vice-president nominee JD Vance. “I love my cats so much,” Taylor, 34, says. “I’m proud to be a cat lady!”
Henry Cavill
He might have portrayed Superman, but for Henry, 41, the real superhero is his dog Kal. His American Akita is his constant companion and the most important thing in his life. “He really is my best friend,” says Henry. “We go everywhere together. He has saved my emotional, psychological bacon plenty of times.”
Selena Gomez
Six dogs is, well, a lot, but her pooch pack has helped Selena, 32, with battles against depression and anxiety, and she loves being a “dog mum” to Winnie, Wallace, Fina, Chip, Chase and Baylor. Winnie, her emotional support dog, is her constant companion as the make-up mogul and actor has the autoimmune disorder lupus.
James Middleton
The younger brother of the Princess of Wales isn’t exaggerating when he says his late rescue dog Ella saved his life while he was at the peak of his depression. It was during a dark moment in 2017 when entrepreneur James, who now has seven pooches, sadly considered taking his own life – but stopped when he saw his beloved spaniel Ella. “She is the reason I did not take that fatal leap,” James, 37, wrote candidly in his book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.
“She is Ella, the dog who saved my life… and this isn’t the first time.” Ella, who passed away last year, is credited with becoming James’ therapy dog and best friend, and helping him eventually move on from his mental illness.
Miley Cyrus
Miley, 31, has always had a menagerie of pets – she shared a whopping 15 with ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, including dogs, cats, horses and a pig. The singer has long depended on her animals for comfort through career scandals, her divorce and now a messy estrangement from her dad, Billy Ray, 62, caused in part by his marriage (and subsequent divorce) to young Australian singer Firerose, 35. Miley was especially close to her pitbull Mary Jane and was heartbroken when she died. “To know her is to love her. It has been my honour being her mum and her friend.”
Kaley Cuoco
The Big Bang Theory star Kaley, 38, and her pooch Norman had a super-close relationship, with the actor dubbing the rescue pitbull “the love of her life”, who was there for her through multiple relationship break-ups. “This guy saved me in more ways than I can explain,” she says of her dog, who died aged 14 in 2021. “I’m going to put a tattoo of him on me… that’s how much I love him. He’s my everything!”
Halle Berry
Halle suffered through depression and anxiety following the end of her first marriage to David Justice in 1997. She says she had to reprogramme herself to believe “just because someone didn’t love [her], didn’t mean [she] was unlovable”, and credits her pets with helping her realise she was worthy of happiness again.
Nowadays, the happily single actor, 58, loves coming home to her two labradoodles, Jackson and Roman, as well as newly rescued kittens Boots and Coco. “Behind every strong woman are her dogs following her to the bathroom!” she wrote on Instagram.
Lady Gaga
Gaga, 38, was heartbroken when her two pups, Koji and Gustav, were stolen, and her friend and dogwalker Ryan Fischer was shot in the process. The dogs were found safe and sound, and Ryan survived his injuries. Gaga also has a French bulldog Asia and has just adopted a new Frenchie puppy – and she refers to her dogs as her “kids”. Asia, her eldest pooch, even has her own Instagram account!
Help is here
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202.