Besides being a musical legend, Billy Joel is also known for being a big dog adoption advocate and lover of pugs. In November 2023, he shared the exciting news that his family adopted a French Bulldog named Bucky!
This follows the sad news of his beloved pug Rosie passing away in the summer of 2022. Since then, Joel patiently waited for the right rescue to add to his family. Then famed animal rights advocate Beth Stern and Roaddogs Rescue connected Joel with Bucky, who was at a shelter in San Diego with a back case of mange. After the shelter got Bucky back to health, he joined the Joel family in early November.
Billy Joel fans applauded him for adopting and using his celebrity status to advocate for rescue dogs. @leemackey4 commented, “THANK YOU for promoting adoption/rescue! There are so many pups out there that need good homes! #adoptdontshop” @kissoapery commented, “We waited three 3 years (almost to the date) after our lab rescue passed to welcome our frenchie @lilypawkins when she needed to be re-homed. So many are buying this breed not knowing how much attention they need, so thank you for adopting your little one!” @stephtaylor18 said, “There are so many dogs in shelters needing help! Thank you for rescuing Bucky.”