Humane Society Naples reacts to surprise visit from ‘Stranger Things’ actress

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez
Published: Updated:
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi at Humane Society Naples with their friend, Shark (CREDIT: Humane Society Naples)

British actress Millie Bobby Brown and her partner Jake Bongiovi adopted a dog at Humane Society Naples over the weekend.

“I always say a celebrity might slap me in the face, and I may not notice it,” said Meredith McLean, Chief of Community Services at Humane Society Naples. “I wouldn’t say we’ve had many celebrities walk through the door, so that was a little different for us.”

“Some of them did not recognize her, but they treated her just like they would anyone else, and it ended up working out great,” said Dave Feenan with Humane Society Naples.

Brown plays Eleven in the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things” and often asks people around the world to adopt dogs.

“They were stopping in, and they fell in love with the dog named Shark,” said McLean.

Shark the Frenchie was only here for about a week and has a ton of health problems.

“She’s definitely taking our mission and taking it one step further,” McLean said. “That dog is going to have a great life.”

Humane Society Naples even named a dog that’s up for adoption after the 19-year-old actress.

“I was just very happy that it ended up working out, not just for her, but also for Jabba,” Feenan said.

Shark’s new name is Jabba, and Brown posted about him on her rescue page, Joe’s Friends, which helps dogs find a permanent home and better life.

“They were definitely a really nice couple. They use their platform to advocate for animals, which is really important and also just a great thing to do when you have that status,” McLean said.

There are lots of ways you can help Humane Society Naples. You can adopt, take a dog out for the day, or contribute financially.

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