Fact Check: Did Stephen Colbert launch multi-million-dollar dog sanctuary?
MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY: In December 2025, a viral claim circulated online that late‑night TV host Stephen Colbert had launched a multi‑million‑dollar project for abandoned and abused dogs.
Posts on social platforms like Facebook described a six‑acre Malibu Hills, California‑based “haven” devoted to saving mistreated dogs.
The story gained traction and was shared widely, but how much of this story is actually true?
Claim: Stephen Colbert announced multi‑million‑dollar facility called ‘Evergreen Sanctuary’ to care for abandoned and abused dogs
The viral posts asserted the host of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', had unveiled a major project called "The Evergreen Sanctuary."
A Facebook post shared the claim with a caption stating, "Stephen Colbert is launching 'The Evergreen Sanctuary' — a sprawling six-acre, multi-million-dollar haven in the Malibu Hills devoted to abused and abandoned dogs. This isn’t just a shelter, the late-night legend declares."
Another Facebook user shared the same claim, accompanied by the caption, "In a move no one saw coming, Stephen Colbert has stepped off the late-night stage and into something far bigger — launching “The Evergreen Sanctuary,” a sprawling six-acre, multi-million-dollar refuge in the Malibu Hills for abused and abandoned dogs."
Other accounts on Facebook accounts also widely shared the same claim. These posts consistently directed readers to WordPress blogs for additional details.
Fact Check: False, Stephen Colbert did not announce any multi‑million‑dollar project for abandoned or abused dogs
The story is among numerous false or AI-generated celebrity rumors spreading on Facebook, leading to its classification as false.
An online search for credible reporting on the topic revealed no legitimate sources when looking up "stephen colbert dog sanctuary" and "evergreen sanctuary stephen colbert." A search for "Evergreen Sanctuary" in the Malibu area on Google Maps instead pointed to a permanently closed plant nursery in Panorama City, Los Angeles.
It was found that through online searches, the same Facebook posts spreading the rumor, along with videos of a recurring segment on Stephen Colbert’s show called 'Rescue Dog Rescue', in which Colbert and a celebrity guest feature adoptable dogs on set in collaboration with North Shore Animal League America.
With only minor differences, the content of the WordPress blog posts was nearly identical. Two posts from the same account linked to a blog starting with the URL luxqi.feji.io, but each post included links beginning with completely different URLs: stronggoal.info and peakdash.forum.
All four blog posts contained numerous advertisements, seemingly designed to maximize profit from clicks, a common tactic used by Facebook accounts sharing sensational AI-generated stories about public figures.
