To millions of fans, Millie Bobby Brown will always be Eleven, the girl with superpowers who became the heart of Stranger Things. But far from Hollywood’s red carpets and film sets, on a farm in rural Georgia, the 22-year-old actress has taken on a very different role: picking up abandoned dogs from the side of the road, treating their wounds with her own hands and staying up at night to feed newborn puppies.
What started as a love for animals has turned into a rescue that has already helped more than 250 dogs find a home.
How did Millie Bobby Brown’s love for pets start?
Her love for animals started early in her life. During a 2024 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, she recalled asking her parents for another dog when she turned 18. “They were like, ‘No, you can’t fit any more dogs in your room,’” she said on The Drew Barrymore Show.
Instead of giving up, as she grew older, she moved out and later settled on a farm in rural Georgia in 2022. There, she created Joey’s Friends, an organization that rescues dogs that have been abandoned, abused, neglected, or are at risk of being put down in overcrowded shelters.
More than 250 dogs adopted
The rescue gives dogs a safe place to stay, cares for their physical and emotional needs, and then matches them with families. In March 2025, Brown said on the SmartLess podcast that it had already helped more than 250 dogs find homes.
She is involved in every step. She picks up stray dogs, takes them to animal control to register them, microchips and vaccinates them, and grooms them. Many spend their first night inside her home before moving to kennels built on the property.
At one point in 2025, she was caring for 62 animals, including foster dogs, her own dogs, cats, goats, ponies, and a donkey. She lives there with her husband, Jake Bongiovi, who helps with the animals.
In March 2026, Joey’s Friends held its first annual gala. And despite the noise, Brown says she loves it. “There is so much chaos, and that is where I thrive,” she said.