We receive some wonderful photos in our "Your Pet-Adoption Stories" gallery, but recently something caught my eye that I just had to share:
1 Meet Martha Stewart! Sure, she doesn't look much like our Martha, nor, apparently, does she share her namesake's crafting ability. But it's the thought that counts...
2 The rest of the photos are ones I renamed based on their celebrity look-a-likes.... Here's 'Joe Pesci'
3 Captain and Tennille
4 Lady Gaga (or Britney Spears?)
5 Cameron Diaz
6 Carmen Miranda or Frida Kahlo
7 Reba McEntire
8 George Clooney
9 Billy Crystal
10 Bono
11 America Ferrera
12 Sonny Bono
13 Cher
14 Barbra Streisand
15 Dom DeLuise
16 Captain Jack Sparrow
17 Taylor Swift
18 Tina Fey
19 Groucho Marx
20 Jimmy Stewart
21 Danny DeVito
22 Tom Petty
23 Frank Sinatra
24 Gerard Butler
25 Dolly Parton
26 Yoda
27 James Dean
28 Jake Gyllenhaal
29 Abraham Lincoln
30 Cheri Oteri
31 The Olsen Twins as kids
32 The Olsen Twins grown up
33 Celine Dion
34 Walter Matthau
35 Zsa Zsa Gabor
36 Zach Braff
37 Mick Jagger
38 Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
39 Humphrey Bogart
40 James Gandolfini
41 Ray Charles
42 Angelina Jolie
43 Cyndi Lauper
44 Chris Matthews
45 Jennifer Aniston
46 Jack Black
47 These next few aren't celebrities, but they sure look like something! This little guy looks like a bookie.
48 Don't these cuties look like the Yin-Yang symbol?
Contributor Robin Tousley from Minneapolis recently sent us a photo of her adorable adopted pooch -- by the name of Martha Stewart! Much like our very own Martha, this pooch has worked hard to get where she is now. Prior to her adoption, she had spent her whole life in a cage, so she was understandably scared and confused when she first arrived at her forever home. Thanks to the Tousley family and Pet Haven of Minnesota, she is a happy, well-adjusted girl receiving the love she so rightly deserves. While viewing the gallery adoption photos, I decided to have some fun and look for celebrity look-a-likes. So how did I do? Let me know!
While I'm no celebrity, I have had a few dogs, cats and even a turtle and a rat named after me by grateful adopters whom I've helped out over the years. I always find it to be a great honor and am disappointed when I hear people offended by any association to a non-human animal. I also find the reverse to be an honor -- when a person names a child after a beloved animal they once knew.
My Uncle Herman was a veterinarian who helped animals of all shapes and sizes. I undoubtedly got much of my affinity and respect for animals by watching him. He named one of his daughters after a cow he had grown attached to in veterinary school. Fortunately my cousin Susan loved having a cow as her namesake and has since named many of her companion animals after our human relatives -- including an adopted cat she named after our uncle Jonas!
Please keep your adoption stories and photos coming! You can share them in our pet adoption gallery, or just browse the many touching, inspiring stories from other adopters. Thanks for sharing --this was such fun!
And feel free to challenge any of my gallery's celebrity name choices.
In kinship,
Dr. Pia Salk
PS: Did you know that actress Jennifer Garner named her Labrador retriever Martha Stewart as well? I wonder how many four-pawed "Marthas" are out there?
From: Kirby Berar | 5/20/10 at 6:20 am
Hello ladies, Kirby here.
“What’s in a name,” as the line goes? Evidently everything because names identify with something, or someone, which matters very much. Now take my name, Kirby Bear of Toad Hill, as an example. When I came to live with mommy and daddy they didn’t know what to call me. Mommy had put out some bread for the birds and some of it was in the back yard. While I was exploring I came across the bread and started chewing on the hard stuff. I went from piece to piece quickly. Daddy said that I was really “sucking” it all up; just like a vacuum cleaner. Thus, Kirby became my name. The “Bear” is in honor of the other two Chow-Chows that mommy and daddy had. In my front yard is a small hill where “toads” live. Now you understand my name.
Catch you later, Kirby.
From: Zoe | 5/20/10 at 6:29 am
Dr. Pia
Thanks for sharing those pictures they were funny and I was surprised how much they reminded me of the people they were named after.
I'm just Zoe and I look like no one special. My brother T-Bone is black with a white T on his chest. We rescued him at 10 weeks old and the people at the center had already named him but his names fits. My sister Precious is a big, chocolate Lab and her face is so precious the name stuck. Then there is Sophie the blonde Lab, mom just liked the name Sophia. We call her Sophie but when she gets in trouble mom shouts Sophia!!!
I'm surprised Mom didn"t name me Martha because she fell in love with French Bulldogs the first time she saw Franny. Dad surprised her with me and I'm so lucky so have such a wonderful home.
Have a nice day Dr. Pia.
Zoe
From: Basil | 5/20/10 at 8:49 am
Hello Dr. Pia & Ladies,
It is fun to see how people name their four legged family members. Look at G.K., he is probably so named because he will be a very regal "big" guy. I knew Mom and Dad's last black lab before she went to heaven--her name was Sage. We were the two muskateers for awhile. Get it, Sage and Basil. Tasha was 6 years old when she came to her forever home and already answered to Tasha, so Mom and Dad didn't rename her. Thought it would be too confusing. Names are really fun to hear when I go to the vet's. It helps keep my mind off of being so nervous when I listen for names. Have a great day.
Love & licks,
Basil
From: Judy | 5/20/10 at 9:04 am
Oh, Pia, you are too hilarious...you nailed most of the celeb "look alikes." I have had dogs named Paul (McCartney), Ringo (Starr), and Jennifer (Aniston). Jennifer is still with me and is a complete love! Thanks for the laughs this morning.
From: delia | 5/20/10 at 9:37 am
Those photos are great and yes I can see the resemblance...my favorite is Groucho Marx.
Great story and had to laugh at your cousin being named after a cow...
not an animal, but I call my daughter Martha Stewart because of her beautiful and neat house *!*
From: DDR & animallover jan | 5/20/10 at 10:30 pm
Hi Dr. Pia, Thank you for this wonderful, fun loving, adorable, precious blog! I love these photos of celebrity named animals and how clever you are to choose such great names for such great animals! I have always named my animals after someone or some thing that was very fitting for them and they lived up to their name. My latest little sweetie pie, Dudley Do Right, couldn't do a thing right when I first got him and his name was Muttley. I felt I needed to give him a name he could live up to and he did! Thanks for all you do! Jan & DDR
From: Melissa L | 5/22/10 at 2:08 pm
Hi Dr. Pia: Thank you for including my cat Newbie, photo #30 in your collection! Newbie is a boy cat, but is still flattered that his likeness resembles the talented Cheri Oteri
You can see other photos of him here:
http://californiablue.tumblr.com/tagged/Newbie
- Melissa
From: Susan J | 5/25/10 at 11:36 am
Hello All:
Talking about what is in a name - my sister and I were named after Beatles' songs - I am Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds)and my sister is Martha (from Martha My Dear). We are both Bearded Collies and we love to be crazy with with another, I am at small end of the Beardie range and my sister Martha is somewhat larger. Our feline component of our pack is Max (from Maxwell's Silver Hammer) and together we make up a Beatles' trio!