Celebrity Denise Richards: Dog Mom and Adoption Advocate

Here's something you may not have known; celebrity Denise Richards, known previously for her roles in the fashion world and her later appearances on screen (in both movies and on television), is a dog mom. Not only is Richards a dog mom, but she is also a huge adoption advocate, who helps out and volunteers for the Best Friends Animal Society. 

In her final entry for the iVillage blog series CelebVillage, Richards details her love for animals, and tells of her experiences volunteering with a program called Pup My Ride.

"Every other Monday when I'm not working, I go to the shelter and we take out 30-50 dogs that would otherwise be euthanized," she writes. "The dogs we take out are [driven] to a facility in Utah or Montana. Since joining the program, over 2,000 dogs have been adopted."

Being actively involved in the adoption efforts sometimes tugs at Richards' heart strings, but she focuses on the animals she can save, like the 16-year-old senior pet she decided to adopt from the program, the cancer survivor or the survivor of a bad hoarding situation that she took home as well.

"Since I have started working with Best Friends, I have personally taken home a sweet 16-year-old dog (I couldn't imagine her ending her day at a shelter after 16-years!)," she writes.

As a result of her involvement with Best Friends, Richards is a big adoption advocate, and encourages people to adopt animals from their local rescues or animal shelters, especially with the holidays coming right around the corner. 

What do you think about Denise Richards volunteer efforts and her story? Tell us in a comment! And be sure to read the rest of Richard's experiences in the iVillage article!