The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been helping out cats, dogs, and other rescued pets at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for many years. The greatest quarterback of all time according to some, Tom Brady, Defensive Back Logan Ryan, and his wife, Ashley Bragg Ryan, have recently made news as they and their families volunteered at the Humane Society. They and other players have been volunteering and making a big difference for the shelter animals.
Brady, the subject of a new road-trip comedy, 80 for Brady, was quietly volunteering at the shelter with his daughter, Vivian, 10, throughout his final NFL season. Now, Vivian must be over the Moon because Brady adopted two adorable kittens she fell in love with while volunteering! As it turns out, the kittens appear to be born to tackle. They might just be purrfect for the Kitten Bowl.
Brady Adopts Two Shelter Kittens That Know How to Tackle
Recently, Brady’s daughter Vivian Lake masterminded the adoption of two Siamese mix kittens she met at the Humane Society.
Brady shared an Instagram story video that showed the cuties playing with the caption, “Vivi wins again,” and thanked the Ryans for their involvement in the adoption. In a tag, he let the Humane Society know the cats were “in good loving hands.”
You can hear him react, saying, “Oh!” as the kittens wrestled and tackled each other like ‘lil football players.
“This is what my mornings are like now,” he joked.
Brady’s Daughter Fell in Love With the Kittens While Volunteering
The Humane Society’s Regan Blessinger told PEOPLE that Vivian had become smitten with the kittens while volunteering at the shelter.
“When they came to volunteer, it was evident that Vivian and the whole Brady family enjoyed their time with the under-aged kittens still needing to be bottle-fed,” Blessinger shared. “Vivian was drawn to the Siamese mix kittens, so it wasn’t surprising that Tom reached out to adopt. They are the perfect family for these two adorable kittens!”
The past Halloween, Brady and his kids were seen heading off to look for costumes as they left the Humane Society.
Buccaneers Making the World a Better Place for Animals
Ashely Ryan shared her “Tom Brady Story” on Instagram, praising his efforts to make the world “a better place for animals.” The picture was taken in August 2022 and shows Brady, his kids with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen and the Ryan family.
She says it’s who Brady is off the field that really impresses her. While volunteering, Brady and his kids helped bottle-feed kittens, and his daughter Vivian fell in love with two kittens, which the family has now adopted.
“I guess I’ll chime in with my Tom Brady story.. but it’s not the one about 7 Super Bowls or being down 28-3 or his last pass as a Patriot. We all know those,” Ashely shared.
It’s the one about the dad who volunteered at the animal shelter with his kids throughout an entire football season. The one where he bonded with his kids over naming puppies and bottle-feeding kittens. The one where he silently showed up every other week to make a difference for his family and his community. The one where 2 dads just got to be dads and beamed with pride every time their kids said “Please can we just stay a little bit longer?!” The one where two little girls built a friendship around their love of tiny baby kittens and did their part in making the world a better place for animals.
These pictures were from August and we didn’t take many more after that. Not publicly at least. It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition. It was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together. It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money.. his time.
Greatest QB of all time, no doubt. But I’m humbled most by the person you are off the field, TB! Congrats!” she said.
The Ryan Animal Rescue Foundation, founded by the Ryans, also shared the story. They started the foundation back in 2017. You can follow them on Facebook to help support their efforts.
Logan loves puppies and kittens, as you can see in the picture below.
Buccaneers Helping the Humane Society of Tampa Bay
The Team Godwin Foundation, started by Receiver Chris Godwin and other Buccaneers, have volunteered with the Humane Society since 2019. During the pandemic, Godwin and his wife, Mariah Delpercio, found that visits to the shelter were a wonderful and pawsitive bonding experience.
Video by Team Godwin Foundation:
Taking the dogs out on walks was a great way to help them get some socializing and exercise. But there are many ways to help.
“If you can’t adopt, you can foster. If you can’t foster, you can volunteer, and if you can’t volunteer, you can donate,” Delpercio said.
You can follow the Team Godwin Foundation on Facebook.
Featured image of Tom Brady via Facebook with screenshot of kittens via YouTube.