tough times never last...tough people do
This Bulldog’s Tougher than Cancer
Truly, America loves its celebrities. Even ones with wet noses and four legs. Asked to name a few, you might list Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Maybe Checkers or Benji. Oh yes, and Zelda.
Who’s Zelda? A canine star for today’s generation. A doggie diva who has made the talk show rounds, appearing on Oprah, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Martha Stewart, and more. A survivor who has outlived cancer, not to mention her own life expectancy.
This sassy English Bulldog rose to fame as the star of Zelda Wisdom, a wildly successful business venture by Zelda’s owner, Carol Gardner. Combining Zelda’s costumed poses with Gardner’s funny, heartwarming captions, the company designs greeting cards, calendars, books, figurines and dozens of other items. “I think there have been close to 200 Zelda products,” Gardner exclaims, “It’s pretty amazing.”
Zelda’s high-profile image has given her the opportunity to help raise awareness for worthy causes such as the Delta Society and Pet Peace of Mind, both organizations that promote the power of animals to heal human suffering.
In September 2008, Gardner had a lunch date with a representative from the Morris Animal Foundation, well known for its Canine Cancer Campaign. She recalls that Steve Strand, who is very interested in pet insurance as, CFO of Pets Best Insurance, had urged the two to get together. “He said ‘you’ve just got to meet them because the work they’re doing on cancer is extraordinary.’ The irony of it was that Zelda didn’t have cancer at the time.”
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