Tom Hardy's Amazing Rescue Of His Dog Woody Has Helped Advocate For The Safe Adoption Of Stray Dogs

Tom even brought him to a red carpet event where Woody chased the pigeons and they spoke of their cause

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 24, 2022

Known for his titular role in Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Hardy has cemented himself as one of the most sought-after celebs in Hollywood. The British actor has starred in a lot of blockbuster hits like The Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk, Venom, and popular TV series like Peaky Blinders.

The actor recently made headlines when he entered a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open Championship and won. Tom is also an ambassador for the REORG Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Foundation where they help veterans and military personnel harness the power of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to aid in their mental health recovery.

His philanthropy didn't stop there as the actor is also famed for his advocacy with animal rights organization, PETA. Tom joined them in championing the cause of adopting dogs from shelters.

His work with PETA was a story near and dear to Tom's heart. His dog Woodstock, Woody for short, was a rescue Tom didn't plan on adopting.

Naturally, he and Woody were the stars of the organization's adoption campaign. Tom spoke in length about his long-time love for the animals.

His first pup as a 17-year-old lad was aptly named Mad Max. The actor said that he loved his dog so much, he took him to his drama class daily.

After Max passed, Tom's next dog was Woodstock. The dog actually made waves because Tom brought him to the red carpet event for his movie Legend.

Photographed here: Woodstock, one of Time's Most Influential Animals of 2016 and his number one fan & owner, the actor Tom Hardy

The event was also a greta opportunity for Tom and Woody to speak about their dog adoption advocacy

Woody is not yet used to his fame and was more interested in chasing (perhaps, befriending) pigeons

He also frequently checked in with Tom just to see if the actor was faring better than he was with the press

He reluctantly shared Tom's attention with other people

Woody was just 11 weeks old when Tom rescued him from the streets of Atlanta

Unfortunately, Woody passed away after a tough battle with polymyositis. He was 6 years old.

In a rare moment, Tom penned a loving Tumblr tribute about the fateful night he first met Woody

Woody fell asleep on Tom's shoulders the moment that they got into the car

Woodstock Yamaduki was finally safe and Tom has a new best friend after Max's passing

They eventually moved back to the UK and Woody became a proper Londoner

His loving dog lived a full life with their family and he was adored by everyone he met

The pain from Woody's untimely passing was palpable in the tribute Tom wrote for him

"He burnt very, very bright and those that burn very bright sometimes burn half as long."

Woody was a superstar in his own right — he was an advocate, a bedtime story reader, and most of all he was a best friend to Tom

Tom Hardy continues to work with shelters and organizations that support the welfare of dogs. He's also had new dogs since Woody's passing.

His friendship with Woody and the dog's amazing rescue story has certainly touched the lives of dog advocates. Woody's memory will live on and will not soon be forgotten.

Chelsi