On his 88th birthday, actor Morgan Freeman pledged $11 million to build a sanctuary for thousands of stray and abandoned dogs.
In June 2025, social media users circulated a claim that actor Morgan Freeman had pledged $11 million on his 88th birthday to build a sanctuary for thousands of stray and abandoned dogs.
One Facebook post (archived) with the claim reached more than 145,000 reactions, 8,000 comments, and 13,000 shares.
(Facebook page Care2)
Another Facebook post further elaborated:
BREAKINGNEWS: Morgan Freeman has just shaken the internet with a heartwarming and powerful announcement! 💯🔥
On the eve of his 88th birthday, the legendary actor and beloved humanitarian is pledging a staggering $11 million to build a sanctuary like no other — a safe, loving haven for thousands of stray and abandoned dogs.
Known for his iconic voice and commanding screen presence, Freeman is now turning his passion toward a cause close to his heart: giving forgotten animals a second chance at life.
This state-of-the-art rescue sanctuary will provide shelter, medical care, and endless love to pups in need — a bold, beautiful legacy from one of Hollywood’s greatest.
#MorganFreeman #BOOMchallange #USAToday #photography
The claim spread on multiple social media platforms, including Facebook (archived), Threads, Instagram (archived), YouTube (archived) and X (archived).
Freeman marked his 88th birthday in June 2025, as he was born on June 1, 1937. However, there is no credible evidence from reliable sources confirming that he pledged $11 million for a stray dog sanctuary on his 88th birthday. No such announcement appears on Freeman’s official social media profiles, nor has it been reported by any reputable news outlet. Additionally, the claim circulated alongside AI-generated images and authentic photographs that had no connection the alleged pledge. As such, we rated this claim false.
We have reached out to Freeman’s representatives and will update this article if we receive further information.
How the rumor spread
A review of Freeman’s official Facebook and X profiles showed no posts related to the alleged pledge. Similarly, searches on Google found no reputable news coverage of the supposed $11 million pledge. If Freeman, an internationally recognized actor and public figure, had made such a significant philanthropic gesture, it would almost certainly have been widely reported by reputable news organizations or covered in entertainment media.
(Google search results)
The complete absence of any such reporting strongly indicates that the story did not originate from Freeman or any legitimate source. It rather appeared to have emerged solely from user-generated posts on social media platforms, following a pattern seen in other celebrity-related rumors.
The claim was most frequently shared alongside two images — one depicting a real photograph of Freeman, and the other showing a scene that was likely generated with the use of artificial intelligence software.
In the first photograph, Freeman is seen petting a large dog at what appears to be a social or public event.
(Threads user @nostalgicvisualsworld)
The photo appeared to have originated from an X post shared on Aug. 2, 2017, by @SEALteamFans user, a fan-run account focused on the “SEAL Team” TV show. It was captioned “SEAL dog Dita with Morgan Freeman #SEALteam @SEALteamCBS @CBS #TCA.” Dita, mentioned in the post, known as “Dita the Hair Missile,” is a Belgian Malinois dog featured on the show.
On the same day, the photo was also posted on Dita’s account, with a caption reading, “Hanging with the voice of god…. @morgan_freeman_oficial was great hanging… thanks for the ear scratches.. #hollywoodlife #workingdog @workingdogsofig.”
The posts offered no additional details and was clearly shared years before Freeman’s 88th birthday, making it unrelated to the alleged $11 million pledge.
The second image that often accompanied the claim showed signs of being AI-generated, including unnatural composition, distorted-looking dogs, and unrealistic lighting. Additionally, an analysis using Hive, an AI-detection platform, concluded with 100% certainty that the images were “likely to be AI-generated.”
(Threads user @gracearaneta22, Hive Moderation)
Therefore, the use of both real and fabricated images helped amplify the claim, lending an illusion of credibility to an ultimately false story.
Stray dog rumors often feature public figures
Freeman is just the latest public figure to be falsely linked to nonexistent multimillion animal rescue efforts. In mid-May 2025, we investigated claims that the American rapper and singer Jelly Roll announced he would invest $20 million to create a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating stray dogs. The posts spreading the rumor, however, said nothing about where the alleged sanctuary would be built, the timeline for the project or whether it involved working with any established animal rescue groups.
In late May 2025, we debunked a similar rumor that rapper Eminem announced a $10 million investment to build stray dog rescue facilities. That claim also went viral across multiple social media platforms, accompanied by photos showing Eminem with dogs, some of which appeared to be AI-generated.
For more articles on Freeman, see our collection of his quotes — some real, some totally made up.
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