Dylan Efron Shares How Rescue Dog Booey Has Made His Life ‘So Much Better’ (Exclusive)

When Dylan Efron was looking for a dog, he thought he wanted a puppy — but instead, he found his “best friend” in a shelter dog named Booey.

The Dancing with the Stars competitor tells PEOPLE he had just wrapped production on season 2 of Down to Earth with his brother, Zac Efron, when he began his search for a young canine companion.

He then encountered a dog trainer on a movie set, who advised him to consider an older dog.

“I showed him some of the dogs I was looking at, and he’s like, ‘No, you’re looking in the wrong age range,’” Dylan recalls. “If you rescue an older dog, you’re getting a companion for life. They will listen to every word you say. Those are the best trained dogs.”

“I went from looking for puppies to looking at shelters, and I found Booey,” the Traitors alum continues.

However, he notes that Booey, a German shepherd, was still fairly young at the time, at 1 and a half years old.

“From day one, Booey just was by my side and the most loyal dog ever,” he recalls. “I think that was a really cool way for me to get my dog, and I’ve told so many people that are looking for their first dogs to — no hate against puppies; puppies are the cutest thing in the world — but that if you look in a different age range, you’re going to have a successful companion partnership.”

In honor of Booey, now about 6, Efron has partnered with Banfield Pet Hospital to celebrate National Senior Pet and Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month, highlighting senior pets ready for adoption at shelters across the U.S. 

Banfield will help six shelter pets find homes by covering each of their adoption fees and providing a complimentary Senior Care Optimum Wellness Plan with a full year of comprehensive preventive care. 

Dylan went on to reflect on why welcoming a shelter dog is so fulfilling.

“They know what loss is and they really just want a home,” he says. “They have so much compassion and loyalty to give.”

“Ultimately it’s a selfish decision to want a dog,” he adds. “You obviously want a dog to make your life better, but the fact that you can also save a dog’s life and turn it around and give them a home is an incredibly rewarding feeling.”

The producer and reality star wants to raise awareness that older dogs are often overlooked when adopting.

“Booey’s made my life so much better,” he says. “It breaks my heart looking back at the videos of Booey in the shelter and how far he’s come. Dogs make your life better; it’s just a fact.”

Describing Booey’s personality, Dylan says he “still feels like a puppy” and is “so energetic.”

He points out that his life has been “pretty hectic and crazy” as a cast member on season 3 of Peacock’s The Traitors, which aired earlier this year, and the 34th season of Dancing with the Stars, currently airing on ABC.

“But on a normal day, I’m hanging with my dog at the beach and taking him on walks,” he says. “I live a pretty simple life, so he is just constantly there, my best friend.”

Some of his favorite memories with Booey involve taking road trips together.

“Booey still has some weird things where he’ll go through phases where he is so scared he doesn’t want to go on a walk,” he explains. “He just wants to be in the comfort of the home, and he still has some scars from when he was adopted or whatever happened before.

“But then I’ll take him on road trips and he just becomes the most courageous dog in the world,” he says. “We’ll be in the desert and he’ll chase off coyotes, and then just seeing him thrive in nature is definitely what makes me the happiest.”