'Lucky' Dog Looking for Luck in Love
Lucky the dog is one lucky dog indeed. She leads what could be considered a most pampered life for a pooch, living in a posh Manhattan neighborhood, hobnobbing with celebrities and attending red carpet events.
But now Lucky is looking to become even more lucky, in love. So what do you do if you're the owner of a celebrity pup searching for a mate?
Throw a "fairy-tale" bridal shower and plan an over-the-top, four-legged wedding affair, of course.
PHOTOS: Inside Lucky the Dog's Celebrity Life
That is the path taken by celebrity animal activist and TV personality, Wendy Diamond, the founder of the Animal Fair charity and owner of Lucky, whom Diamond rescued from an animal shelter in 1999.
"She is my non-profit business partner, my best friend and my roommate," Diamond told Goodmorningamerica.com of Lucky. "She is going to be the luckiest bride in the world, literally."
Lucky's " fairy-tale" bridal shower took place earlier this month at the Muse Hotel in New York City. The bride-to-be wore a frilly pink dress and sipped special dog-tea alongside the 32 guests, and their dogs. She also licked the icing off cupcakes created especially for the affair by the sisters featured on the TLC reality show "DC Cupcakes."
"Since the shower I've gotten at least half a dozen people asking to do her bachelorette party," Diamond said. "The problem is I don't know any dogs that strip."
Definitely planned is the July 12th wedding for Lucky, the face of the Animal Fair charity that Diamond runs to raise awareness of animal welfare and homelessness, at Manhattan's ritzy Jumeirah Essex House hotel.
"It's going to be the most expensive dog wedding in history," Diamond said. "There will be 300 guests. We have a seven-piece orchestra that understands not to have the music too loud for the dogs."
"There will be dog treats and a doggie buffet and a dog ring-bearer and a dog flower girl," Diamond said. "We've had one bird RSVP and we got an email about a cat coming. It's going to be the most hysterical wedding in history."
Beneath the celebration, which guests will pay $200 to attend, to benefit the Humane Society New York, however, lies a serious undertone.
Diamond is searching for a partner for Lucky because the Maltese may have only months to live. Lucky was diagnosed with spleen cancer in February and given just three months to a year to live.
The pup was cancer free on her last ultrasound, thanks to a refined diet and care from one of the top animal oncologists in the world, but the type of cancer she was diagnosed with has only a five percent survival rate, according to Diamond.
"You would look at her and never imagine that she has cancer," Diamond said. "Lucky is doing phenomenal. Every day with her is a blessing."
In order to find Lucky a groom, Animal Fair has launched an online competition in which anyone can enter their dogs to marry Lucky and, eventually, carry on her legacy as the face of the Animal Fair charity.
"We hope that whoever becomes Lucky's groom can increase awareness about pet adoption and how important pets are to people's lives," Diamond said. "And hopefully one day there will be no more homeless animals."
As the face of Animal Fair for over a decade, Lucky has become a celebrity in her own right. Diamond began photographing the dog with the A-list stars she ran into at red carpet events. The photos, cataloged in the " Who Got Lucky?" column on the charity's website, earned Lucky a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the "Animal Most Photographed with Celebrities," with more than 360 photo of everyone from Betty White to Barbara Walters.
"I think they're in shock," Diamond said of the celebrities. "It's kind of funny."
Now it is up to supporters of Lucky and Animal Fair to decide who will be the next four-legged animal, cats are encouraged to apply as well, to "get lucky."
"Lucky's fans will decide," Diamond said of the contest, which already has more than 100 submissions. "It depends on how many likes they [the animal] have on Facebook. We hope it's whoever people believe will dedicate their lives to animal rescue and welfare."
Potential spouses can apply at Diamond and Lucky's Facebook page, or at animalfair.com. Diamond will announce Lucky's spouse on June 28, two weeks before the wedding.