From Britney Spears to Oprah… stars are not afraid to admit that often the only pals they can truly trust in Tinseltown are the ones of the four-legged variety. What’s more, if you peruse tabloids you’ll find that the subject of pets is one of the only topics celebrities are willing to openly chat about (aside from the projects they are trying to plug). And in some cases a star’s furry friend is the impetus behind the headline.
For example, Britney Spears bought a new dog on Friday. By Saturday morning the news had been broadcast around the world. Apparently, the pop star and her new bodyguard/manny/puppet headed to pet store in ritzy Bel Air and left with a new puppy. According to news reports, Spears dropped $3,000 for a Yorkie she reportedly named “London.” The new tiny fluff ball joins a feathery pal Spears picked up at Petco last month—a $19.99 parakeet.
The former Mouseketeer isn’t the only celebrity adding to the family. Actress Teri Hatcher was recently seen at the same Bel Air pet shop Spears likes to frequent. According to workers there, Hatcher and her 9-year-old daughter Emerson Rose browsed for a while before taking home a young kitten.
Finally, in news many of us can relate to the queen of daytime talk has finally mustered the strength to chat about the recent death of her beloved dog. Oprah Winfrey opens up about the loss of her 2-year-old Golden Retriever Gracie who died in May by choking on a plastic ball.
In the August issue of her magazine, Winfrey says the tragedy taught her an important lesson. She says “through my tears and stabbing pain and disbelief” she learned from the sad event.
“I don’t believe in accidents,” writes Winfrey. “I know for sure that everything in life happens to help us live.”
The media mogul explains that Gracie was out with a dog walker and two other goldens for their exercise when she found the clear ball (which belonged to Winfrey’s 12-year-old cocker spaniel Sophie) and swallowed it.
“I ran barefoot out of the house and found the dog walker and one of my security guards pumping her chest,” Winfrey writes in her magazine. “Just as I reached them, the security guard looked up and said, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am. We tried everything. I’m sorry. She’s gone.’ ”
Winfrey says in the weeks since Gracie’s death she has learned that her pooch’s life was a “great gift.” The animal loving talk show host adds that Gracie “did more living in two years than most dogs do in 12” – and that is the lesson to be learned from her beloved pup.