Barking blondes: a tribute to Doris Day

• By Joanne Good and Anna Webb
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• Monday, 3 December 2012 at 10:30 am

We spent an entertaining Tuesday evening at The Crazy Coques in Londons’ West End watching a tribute show to Doris Day.
As two, fair fading blondes, with no celebratory status, we are always interested in those who decide to ditch it all in favour of dogs.
Doris Day’s husband fleeced her, emptied her bank account of over $30 million and left her no option but to stay out there and keep working.
Therefore, who can blame her when she said enough is enough and now dedicates her life to her Animal Foundation. It has been running for over 35 years and both, she and the foundation, are strong.
Perhaps she gains strength from knowing her karma is good and that she is helping those who have helped her. It was a dog named Tiny that gave Doris the inspiration to carry on after a serious accident as a teenager.
A car crash left her with one leg in a compound fracture and unable to walk without crutches for two years, killing all her hopes of becoming a dancer.
Tiny helped her road to recovery with his constant companionship, but for no reason, one day ran out into the middle of the road and was killed instantly; in front of her very eyes.
The irony of Doris’s dog suffering the same fate, that she had escaped, led her to dedicate her life to animals.
Many Hollywood stars have set an example and sought emotional strength from animals, often when human beings have let them down.
Bardot and Garbo similarly gave up on people for dogs. Garbo ended her days in New York living with a pack of more than 10 dogs, one of them was the son of Hollywood legend, Rin Tin Tin.  She died, a recluse.
Bardot still campaigns tirelessly for animal rights and her once, radiant beauty has faded, to reveal to many, her inner beauty, her love of animals. Withdrawing herself from a vain and judgmental, celluloid world where beauty is often only skin deep.
Some will say as those above discovered, most people have an agenda. Dogs don’t.
They may demand time from us but they don’t expect a shared bank account. They don’t expect dinner to be served at certain times. But they are so grateful when they get all this and return the compliment with genuine thanks and unconditional love – this is the one attribute that the human condition lacks.
So any relationship with a human is quid pro quo, whereas a relationship with a dog – man’s best friend, is not. Some people judge people by their love of dogs, and won’t trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs, simply because what is there not to like? The adage that you can’t lie to a dog is perhaps why some are afraid of them – dogs see through the human facade.
They appreciate our attention no matter how meager. They don’t care if you’re having a bad hair day or whether you are broke, if the car is in the garage, if you can’t chauffeur them to their appointment, or whether your trousers clash with your blouse.
No matter how ugly a mutt is the beauty shines out everyday, simply in the truth that is the love of a dog.
So next time you hear jokes about “the old girl at the end of the road who lives with a load of dogs” consider why she does?
And more importantly consider that it could well be one of us.
BARKING AT THE MOON / THURSDAY 3pm BBC LONDON 94.9fm