Chris Evans says adopting an older dog was "the best decision of my life".
The 'Captain America: The First Avenger' star has opened up about bringing home his beloved pet pooch, Dodger, from a rescue centre and admits he never previously considered giving a home to a "full-grown dog".
He told Buzzfeed: "I always thought when I adopted a dog, or rescued a dog, it would be a little puppy. Dodger was a full-grown dog.
"It wasn’t the story i had in my mind, but it ended up being the best decision of my life.”
Evans said many prospective owners overlooked older dogs in shelters because they were looking for a puppy, adding that adult pooches should be given a chance.
"I just think a lot of adult dogs and older dogs get overlooked, and that’s a shame,” he said. “They just have such a connection with whoever they’ve been around for a while. That’s what makes an older dogs' love so special. You gotta earn it."
During a previous appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', the 41-year-old actor explained how Dodger got his name, revealing it was inspired by one of his favourite childhood movies.
"It's a far more embarrassing story that I now get to explain every time someone asks me. There's a movie called 'Oliver and Company', it's a Disney movie, an animated movie, that I grew up watching.
"When I first saw him in the shelter, I just said: 'Oh man, that looks like Dodger from ‘Oliver and Company’.
"After I decided I was taking him home with me, I went through the process of thinking of other names, and I just couldn't get off Dodger. So, I said: 'I'm not going to overthink this one.'"