Jennifer Aniston recently got emotional in a matter close to her heart.
The Friends star, 55, is putting her fame and platform to work for a cause close to her heart — animal rescue.
With a new children’s book, Clydeo Takes a Bite Out of Life, and a dedicated initiative, The Clydeo Fund, Jennifer is making a tangible difference for countless four-legged friends in need.
And, of course, she’s sharing it all with her fans on Instagram, spotlighting rescue stories to raise awareness and find these dogs the loving homes they deserve.
“It’s so hard, but it helps; they get seen and rescued,” Jennifer shared with People during an emotional conversation.
“It’s almost impossible to keep up with it. But I’m constantly updated that so-and-so got rescued. So all I keep thinking is, if just one gets out, that’s all I care about.”
Her passion for animal welfare has taken on a new dimension with her latest project. The Morning Show star’s new picture book, illustrated by Bruno Jacob and inspired by one of her beloved rescue dogs, Clyde, aims to motivate children to step away from their screens and rediscover the joys of the world around them.
“Kids are so focused on these phones, disappearing into this void of scrolling,” she said. “They don’t really spend time being stimulated by the world and figuring out what they want to do.”
Clydeo, an animated pup first introduced on Jennifer’s Instagram account in 2021, has since become the star of a four-book children’s series.
“When they came to me with the idea, it was like, ‘Obviously, I’ll make it about something that I fully love and adore, which is my rescue animals,’” she shared, brimming with enthusiasm.
But Jennifer’s love for her furry companions extends far beyond storybooks. The actress is determined to make a real impact with The Clydeo Fund, a charitable initiative designed to support shelters and animal rescue organizations around the world.
“I wanted to create a fund where we can donate to these animals globally and inspire people to just throw in a dollar. It all adds up,” Jennifer explained passionately. “We can raise awareness and help the shelters that are in desperate need.”
Every single dollar donated to The Clydeo Fund goes towards rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding forever homes for animals. And Jennifer’s commitment is unwavering.
“We can help these animals, and we can get awareness out and help the shelters that are in desperate need of upkeep because they’re falling apart,” she said earnestly. “They can’t keep up. And all you see is that we’re euthanizing innocent, beautiful, perfectly fine two-year-old dogs, or a puppy, or a litter. I can’t. It’s too much. It’s too many.”
Jennifer’s passion for rescuing dogs is deeply personal. She has two rescue pups at home, Clyde and Lord Chesterfield, but her journey began with her very first canine companions, Norman and Dolly, both of whom have passed away. Norman left a lasting mark on Jennifer’s heart when he passed away in 2011, and Dolly followed in 2019.
Reflecting on their loss still stirs up strong emotions. “You mention them, and I get a lump in my throat,” Jennifer admitted, her voice wavering slightly.
Norman’s entrance into Jennifer’s life was pure serendipity, but it’s a story she loves to share. She first set eyes on him decades ago when he made an unexpected appearance on Friends. “Norman was my first,” Jennifer recalled fondly.
“And it was just a fluke. He was in a scene with Joey and Chandler on Friends when they left baby Ben on the bus.”
The scene in question was from season two, episode six, aptly titled “The One With the Baby on the Bus,” released in 1995.
“They were running through the streets and ran into a dog walker that had all these dogs. Norman was one of them, and I just fell in love,” she shared, painting a vivid picture of that chance encounter.
Jennifer, then just getting started on what would become a glittering career, couldn’t stop thinking about that sweet dog from the set. She remembered asking the trainers about him: “‘Well, he’s not getting hired because he doesn’t really hit his mark,’” they told her, shaking their heads. So, Jennifer made a spur-of-the-moment offer: “‘I’ll take him,’” she joked, not entirely sure she meant it at first.