Healthy Pets

Denise Richards: Dog Rescuer

Denise Richards and Pup My Ride continued...

One is Josie, a 17-year-old mutt Richards adopted in 2010. "I just couldn't imagine her ending her days at a shelter," she says. Another is Princess, a shih tzu with cancer who had nearly starved to death. These two, along with her longtime pet, Hank, a French bulldog, are part of the current pack.

Richards devotes a section of her web site to animals, where she posts photos of dogs available for adoption. She says even if someone is looking for a puppy rather than an older dog, a shelter is the way to go since they have dogs of every size, shape, color, and age. Richards praises pet stores such as Fresh Paws of Bel Air and Pet Rush, both in Los Angeles, with dogs from shelters instead of puppy mills.

"It's great, because shelters can be intimidating, and a lot of people going there don't have a vision of what a dog can look like," she says. "I've brought home some dogs where just a wash and haircut made such a difference."

Richards has a vision for dogs -- her own, plus those she has yet to save: "A farm with a rescue sanctuary," she says confidently. "I would love to have that one day."