Boston Red Sox

These 14 athletes own some of the cutest dogs in sports

Published Mar. 23, 2016 4:22 p.m. ET

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March 23 is one of the best days of the year for all of the dog lovers of the world. Why? Because it is National Puppy Day, which means it is one of the few days of the year when there is actually a good reason to spend the day checking out photos of dogs online.

What better way to celebrate the glory of all things puppies and all things sports than by combining the two. Since dogs are man's best friend, many athletes (both male and female) have some awesome dogs. But because the list of athletes with adorable dogs can be overwhelming, it's best to pare it down sometimes. To help out, here's a short list of some of the top pups whose humans are professional athletes.

Tom Brady is one of the most famous dog owners in the NFL, and his barking brood makes frequent appearances on both his and his wife Gisele Bundchen's social media accounts. These dogs take after their mom; they were made to model. Just look at Lua's face.

The Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle is, like Brady, a football player who loves dogs. His pup, Charles, is a rescue dog who now lives the high life. Castonzo's Instagram account is full of pictures the pup doing everything from helping Castonzo pick out carpets to working on puzzles to trying to master ping pong. That's one busy pup.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson also frequently posts photos of his pal Rocco on his Instagram account. Rocco has a classic bulldog scowl and shows promise when it comes to promoting sports drinks.

Any good athlete puppy list would be remiss if it did not include skier Gus Kenworthy and his Russian dogs, Jake and Mishka. Kenworthy and then-boyfriend Robin MacDonald famously led the charge in adopting some of Sochi's stray dogs after the 2014 Winter Olympics, and they kept Mishka and Jake for themselves. Although Kenworthy and MacDonald have since broken up, Kenworthy still visits the pups (who live with MacDonald) whenever possible.

Although a current knee injury is keeping the champion skier off the slopes, Vonn's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is there to support her through the throes of rehab. Vonn frequently shares photos on Twitter and Instagram of the photogenic pup, and she's credited Lucy in the past with helping her ski faster.

St. Louis Blues captain David Backes is the most well-known dog lover in the NHL. He created the Athletes for Animals charity with his wife, Kelly, to help support and promote animal welfare. Backes also helped rescue some of the Sochi strays and owns quite a few rescue dogs himself.

Is there a better name for a basketball player's dog than Buckets? The New Orleans Pelicans forward-guard has an adorable and aptly-named Husky, and Buckets Pondexter even has his own Twitter account (@bucketsQP20).

Tennis star Andy Murray's dog Maggie May is not just Twitter famous; she also helped write the book "How to Look After Your Human" which is slated for release on June 2. Maggie May might have gotten a little help with the writing from her mom (and Andy's wife), Kim, but still. That's pretty impressive for someone who does not have opposable thumbs. What is Rusty doing with his life (aside from looking hungrily at trophies)?

Dogs are pretty popular in the tennis world. Caroline Wozniacki celebrated National Puppy Day by showing off her dog Bruno's skills behind the wheel. Bruno seems to need some help reaching the pedals, but other drivers should beware. Bruno looks very adept at using the horn.

Serena Williams was brokenhearted in November when one of her dogs, Jack, passed away after 16 years together. Though the tennis champion can take solace in the fact that she still has her two other dogs, Lauralei and Chip, by her side. And that she also gets to relax on that amazingly comfortable looking bean bag. That bean bag alone is enough to make anyone jealous.

Some athletes like to work out alongside their dogs, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is no different. The wrestler-turned-actor has a gym buddy in pup Hobbs, who can be seen showing off some impressive yoga skills.

David Price might want to re-think the name of his dog, a French bulldog called Astro, since the pitcher does not play for the Houston Astros. Price likes to bring the pup to the ballpark, so luckily the Red Sox don't seem to mind that the dog shares a name with one of their opponents.

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez really, really loves his dogs. Just check out his Instagram account —€” it's full of photos and videos of the pair, and that's good news for the world because both dogs are adorable. They are also acting sensations in the puppy chow world: Humber, Atom and Sanchez also shot a dog food commercial together.

The Red Sox slugger has a very appropriate name for his dog, because it is impossible to look at photos of this pup and not feel joy. Ortiz is also a canine advocate, and worked with Josh Duhamel in the past to help dog food brand Pedigree with a campaign assisting shelter dogs.

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