This year was a different. Usher bested actress Jessica Szohr to win the furball with his $12,000 bid. The dog isn't for him, though - it is for his two sons.
The money Usher paid for the pooch will go toward building schools in Latin America, according to People. We're thrilled that the money is going for a good cause, but there are thousands of animals in shelters waiting for their forever homes. Plenty of celebs - including Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Ryan Reynolds and Rachel Bilson -- have adopted their pets from shelters, too.
Lea Michele
"Glee" actress Lea Michele is an outspoken animal advocate. The singer has rescued animals and even saved a litter of kittens from the Paramount lot back in 2010.
"I'm a huge animal lover, and it makes me so sad to see homeless animals suffering. Since animals can't speak up for themselves, it's our job to protect them," she told Seventeen magazine. She then encouraged her teen fans to get involved in animal causes.
"There are so many ways to help. You can use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage people to bring strays to animal shelters where they'll be cared for properly. Or you can adopt them like I did!"
Katherine Heigl
Actress Katherine Heigl and husband Josh Kelley are fans of adoption. The couple adopted both of their daughters - and the self-proclaimed "Mad Dog Lady" adopts all of her dogs. The family currently has seven canines, she told USA Today earlier this year.
"It's so worth it to walk down in the morning and have these dogs go bananas, so excited to see me. My daughter could be like: 'Oh, hey.' I'll say, 'Give Mommy a kiss!' and she says, 'Uh, no.' But they'll always give me a kiss. They're always happy with me," she said.
Heigl even gave friend - and former "Grey's Anatomy co-star T.R. Knight - an adopted pooch from Hearts United for Animals, a Nebraska animal rescue she's regularly works with.
