Chris Evans Says Adopting An Adult Rescue Dog Was The 'Best Decision' He's Ever Made

Chris Evans believes adopting a 'full-grown' dog was the ‘best decision’ he’s ever made.

While on the press tour for his latest film Lightyear, the star sat down with BuzzFeed during an adorable ‘puppy interview’, where he spoke of his adoption process with his boxer-mix rescue canine.

He said: "I always thought when I adopted a dog or rescued a dog, it would be a little puppy. Dodger was a full-grown dog.

"It wasn’t the story I had in my mind, but it ended up being the best decision of my life.”

The 41-year-old actor said many adult dogs are often ‘overlooked’ as owners usually look for a puppy to rescue instead.

"I just think a lot of adult dogs and older dogs get overlooked, and that’s a shame,” he said. 

“They just have such a connection with whoever they’ve been around for a while.

"That’s what makes an older dogs' love so special. You gotta earn it."

Evans adopted Dodger in 2017 while filming the drama Gifted.

He told PEOPLE that one of the film’s scenes occurs in a dog shelter, where he first laid eyes on his little four-legged friend.

He said: "I foolishly walked in and I thought, 'Are these actor dogs or are these real up for adoption dogs?'

"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." 

He added: "I snagged him and he's such a good dog.

“They aged him at about one, 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.

"He loves dogs, he loves kids, he's full of love."

According to a 2019 Shelter Animals Count report, approximately 3.1 million dogs are surrendered every year, and due to the overwhelming numbers, every animal struggles to be rescued.

Interestingly, 65 per cent of dogs entering shelters are adopted, with 13 per cent euthanised (quickly wipes tears from the face before everyone in the office notices she's a wreck).

So if you’re thinking of adopting a pooch, don’t just opt for pups. Consider rescuing an older dog to ensure every dog finds a home