By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Hollywood legend has it that screen actress Lana Turner was discovered having a Coke at Schwab’s Drugstore on Sunset Boulevard. However improbable the story, at least there was no chance that the star of Peyton Place and Imitation of Life would have been euthanized if she went unnoticed. Not so for the star of the new Focus Features movie, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, 5-year-old terrier mix, Aleister. Rescued from an LA dog pound in 2008, the wiry canine plays the role of “Sorry” opposite Steve Carell (The Office) and Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean) in a silly yarn about seeking a second chance at love.
Carell’s character, Dodge, enlists the aid of Penny, played by Knightley, in a cross-country trip to find his high school sweetheart before an asteroid arrives to destroy the Earth. Aleister plays the role of “Sorry,” so named because Carell finds the pet with a note attached bearing the word before the cataclysm. Ok, its a comedy, so Dodge takes it quite literally.
“Sorry enters the story right when Dodge has reached his lowest low and given up hope altogether,” said writer and director Lorene Scafaria in a press release. “He wakes up that morning and finds he has been given someone else’s burden, which becomes a responsibility that gives Dodge’s life meaning again.”
Aleister isn’t the only shelter dog saved by the movie. Three other rescued animals serve as “stand-ins” for the film. Says Scafaria, “When I saw Aleister and his wonderful scrappy snaggletooth and wiry coat, I loved him and felt, ‘Here’s our hero dog.”
I’m sure that three other would-be Rin Tin Tins on that set feel exactly the same way.
Source: Mother Nature Network
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
A humane twist to the story.
I’m glad this little guy and his stand-ins were saved but the 6-8 million cats and dogs killed each year in this country is a national tragedy. All of my/our pets except one have been shelter or stray critters and they have all been good buddies. Like Bettykath said, people need to get their pets from shelters.
The original Bengi was also a shelter pet as was the original Morris the cat and all of his replacements.
Thanks…
So glad they’re using rescue dogs.
There is no reason for anyone to buy a pet. There are so many rescue animals that you can probably find one at your local rescue. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, check out the internet. There are a number of rescue organizations and transport networks to move a pet to you from where ever. The transporters tend to be volunteers, but expense reimbursement is appreciated.
If you’re looking for a dog, be sure you understand what kind of dog you’re looking for. For example, couch potatoes shouldn’t get a lab or a retriever. You can get some help from youtube. A “what kind of dog should I get” search will make some suggestions.
Cuete pup!