Pet adoption was a "miracle" for John Travolta

Movie star John Travolta is known for playing a tough guy in many of his film and television roles. Although he spoke about some of acting experiences at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, he also shared with veterinary professionals stories from his life off-screen, which includes his role as animal rescuer.

Travolta stepped on the VMX stage following a video montage showing many of his characters from an acting career that has spanned more than 50 years. His most popular works include Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Pulp Fiction,Get Shorty and Hairspray, which each elicited cheers from the VMX crowd as they were shown.

After the New Jersey native waved to the crowd, moderator Jaimie Roberts immediately asked Travolta about his pet Peanut. Travolta who has also had up to 16 pet cats in his home, said he met the dog at an Academy Awards ceremony in 2022. “I didn’t win an Oscar that night, but I did get something much more important to our family’s life,” said the actor, who was nominated for Oscar awards in 1978 (Saturday Night Fever) and 1995 (Pulp Fiction).

Travolta went on to explain that his friend, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, had spoken that night about animal adoption and then encouraged him to take Peanut home. He said the then-puppy reached for him, in a human child-like manner, and his “heart melted.”

Travolta further explained that Peanut was welcomed into his home after his wife, and his children’s mother, actress Kelly Preston, died. The positive effect that Peanut had on him and his children, Ella and Ben, made the pet adoption more important to him than winning an Oscar, he said.

“We had a vacancy in our hearts, in our home. We were hurting, and suddenly this little, tiny thing injected more life [and lifted] my spirit. Just such a surprise. It's like a miracle,” Travolta said. “And then we carried on, and my daughter got a brown poodle, and then our assistant has 2 miniature Dobermans. They're all in the house, running around now, so our house is getting filled up.”

As he told the story, Travolta was reminded about a plant in his home that wasn’t doing well. He shared that he began giving it extra care and more water, and moved it into sunlight, while watching it come back to life, little-by-little. He said the plant was a representation of his philosophy on all living things, including humans and animals.

“You would not believe the size of that plant today. It is just everywhere. And I thought, ‘wow, maybe that's a message.’ If we just treat all life forms with TLC and care and kindness, you inject life into it,” Travolta said.

Referencing the 2026 VMX theme of celebrating “champions,” Roberts also asked Travolta about the heroes he’s had throughout his career and life. He replied that although there are different kinds of heroes, he thinks of first responders, including veterinarians.

“Everyone in this audience is a hero to me, because it’s [when] 2 [o’clock] in the morning and you are worried about your animal, there’s some veterinarian in some town that is willing to wake up and help you. That is a miracle. So, veterinarians are my heroes,” he said.