Human Interest Animals Animal Shelters & Rescues Dennis Quaid Adopts a Black Cat Named Dennis Quaid: 'I Just Couldn't Resist' Dennis Quaid — the cat — is 6 years old and was adopted by the actor from the Lynchburg Humane Society By Eric Todisco Eric Todisco Eric Todisco is a former digital news writer at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2021. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 13, 2020 10:24AM EDT Dennis Quaid and cat. Photo: AFF-USA/Shutterstock; Lynchburg Humane Society Dennis Quaid has a new furry friend with a very familiar name. The Parent Trap actor, 66, has adopted a black cat from the Lynchburg Humane Society who bears the same name as the star, Dennis Quaid, according to local Virginia news station WSLS. "It was really off the wall, but I just couldn't resist. I had to," the actor told WSLS. "I'm out to save all the Dennis Quaids of the world." According to the shelter's website, Dennis Quaid — the cat — is a 6-year-old who weighs 13.81 lbs. and cost $79. "I may not live up to my dramatic and artistic actor namesake, I'd rather watch his movies with you curled up on the couch," the cat's description reads. Dennis Quaid Speaks About Controversial 'A Dog's Purpose' Video on New Podcast: It 'Was a Scam' Quaid, who recently launched a pet podcast called The Pet Show through his company Audio Up, heard about the cat and felt it could make the perfect adoption story. However, shelter staff did not believe that the famed actor's interest in adopting the cat was true. "I was like there is no way this is real, like, someone is pranking us,” Danielle Ulmer, Lynchburg Humane Society's Adoption Center Manager, told WSLS. In order to settle the confusion, Quaid hopped on a Zoom call with the shelter and his Pet Show cohost, Jimmy Jellinek, to meet the feline — and convince the shelter they were not part of an elaborate hoax. “We reached out to the shelter. It took us a while for them to actually believe us,” Jellinek told WSLS. Dennis Quaid. JC Olivera/Getty Dennis Quaid on 39-Year Age Gap Between Him and His New Wife: 'We Don't Even Notice It' But eventually, things worked out, and Quaid officially adopted his namesake cat. "Maybe they should start naming animals in shelters after different celebrities and see who bites," he joked. According to WSLS, Jellinek will fly from Los Angeles to Lynchburg to pick up Dennis the cat and bring him home to his proud new owner. Close