Philanthropist Charlie Annenberg
and his golden retriever Lucky.
WHEN Charlie Annenberg adopted an abandoned golden retriever named Lucky, a new breed of philanthropy was born.
Lucky was four-years-old in 2001 when he teamed up with Mr
Annenberg, scion to a US wealthy family known for donating their wealth.
The
46-year-old Mr Annenberg incorporated Lucky into all his projects. They
were on the road more than they were home as they travelled around
making documentaries about people who were making a difference.
Lucky
became Mr Annenberg's sidekick and soul mate and would eventually
inspire donations to dog-focused causes from the as much as $US8 million
($9 million) the philanthropist controls annually.
He and Lucky
travelled to every installation in North America and everywhere they
went, Mr Annenberg filmed Lucky interacting with people and places.
Lucky gets some attention on a
Hawaiian beach. Since his adoption, the lab has traveled the world,
raising money for animal charities.
"It doesn't matter what color your skin, man or woman, fat or
thin. He loves them all, every day. His name is Lucky and he's my
friend.''
In 2010, Mr Annenberg decided to use his Lucky photos
and films for a travel journal on Facebook, telling the story of their
trips.
The Facebook page was all about Lucky, but it captured the fervour for pets that was growing around the country.
"Today we have an audience of 505,000 fans,'' said Courtney Johnson, explore.org's community relations manager.
Passion for the cause on Dog Bless You soared. Dogs cost between $US2000 and $US50,000 each, depending on how much training they need, Ms Johnson said.
The
majority of the dogs funded by Mr Annenberg have been for veterans.
Because there are waiting lists at almost every training school and
experts say thousands of veterans would benefit from a dog, Mr Annenberg
plans to accelerate the dog grant program.
Warrior Canine
Connection in Brookeville, Maryland, is just one of the dog training
schools Mr Annenberg uses, but it's also one of the most unique because
dogs are raised for, by and with veterans.
The latest group of
nine puppies is even named after veterans, said Warrior Canine executive
director Rick Yount. Called the "honour litter,'' they are Bre, Luke,
Gavin, Leigh Ann, Derek, Nick, Florence, Cody and Stanley.
"It's a
good way to say, 'We are not forgetting about your sacrifices.' And
they (the namesakes) get to spend time with the puppies and get therapy
themselves,'' Mr Yount said.
Trained veterans teach the puppies
for the first eight to 12 weeks. Then the dogs go live with volunteers
from military or veteran's organisations.
"By the time a dog is fully trained, over 500 vets and service members have been involved in getting it ready,'' Mr Yount said.
Mr Annenberg misses Lucky at work.
"He
was my partner on all these trips,'' he said. "It's not the same. He
would open the door and make me look good. People always stopped and
petted him. Everyone wanted to keep Lucky, especially the coal miners.
Isn't it interesting that every day was a new day for Lucky? And he just
wanted to be petted? It's been a great ride.''
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