“Your dog always lives in memory. Even though they don’t live as long as people, dogs leave lasting memories.”
– Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist (1946-2026)
Dolly had a connection to dogs throughout her life. Her first dog when growing up in East Tennesee was Cracker Jack, who she later wrote a song about. In the 1980s, she credited her Boston Terrier, Popeye, with saving her life – he distracted her at a particularly dark and depressive moment when she was contemplating using a gun, presumably to commit suicide. Her ‘God Dog’ was Billy the Kid, a French Bulldog owned by her manager. Billy became the official brand ambassador for her line of dog apparel – entitled Doggy Parton (launched in 2022) – and the inspiration for her children’s book series, starting with Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big.
Dolly used her influence in support of animal welfare organizations like PETA to speak out against chained dogs and leaving pets in hot cars. A portion of the proceeds from Doggy Parton go to support the Willa B Farms animal rescue organisation based in Tennessee.
RIP Dolly. Many dogs will have rushed to meet you when you crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.
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