Cristiano Ronaldo takes his shirt off to rescue Portuguese dog shelter pooches

Cristiano Ronaldo is many things to many people. To some he's a flamboyant prancer toting around an ego the size of the Bernabéu. To others he's arguably the best footballer that has ever lived. But now he's something else to a whole new species: A savior.

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CR7 has proved to be a lover of all things furry when he sent a signed jersey to Cantinho da Lili. What's that, you ask, rolling your eyes ever so slightly.

Well, Cantinho da Lili is a dog shelter back in his native Portugal. Housing over 80 dogs, the kennel has been strapped for cash for a while, relying on the goodwill and hard work of volunteers and dog-lovers to keep the pooches healthy and happy.

When one volunteer contacted a member of Ronaldo's family, asking if the football superstar would help out, CR7 was more than happy to oblige.

Liliana Santos, who runs the shelter for dogs, was overwhelmed by Ronaldo's gesture and told Portuguese paper Correrio de Mahna: "I want to thank Ronaldo from the bottom of my heart. It's a simple gesture, but very important."

The shirt will be auctioned and all proceeds, which could be rather considerable, will go to the shelter.

Ronaldo has a history of charity, which unusually, he does away from the glare of the media spotlight. He gave an estimated $8 million to the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund in 2015, and even footed the bill (£53,000) for a 10-year-old child to have critical surgery.

Ronaldo is not the only footballer to show that a life going to the dogs is not necessarily a bad thing. Hell-raiser turned ace Nice marksman Mario Balotelli donated a reported five-figure sum to the Manchester Dogs' Home after it was gutted by a fire that sadly killed 60 dogs.

Not content with just donating cash, Balotelli later adopted two Staffordshire Bull Terriers from an animal shelter in Liverpool.