Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? The country music icon has been a superstar for decades, from her classic songs to her hit films to her amusement park.
But now, Dolly has a surprising new business venture — selling accessories for pets.
“Doggy Parton”
Thanks to the “9 to 5” singer’s new pet apparel line, fittingly called “Doggy Parton,” your very own pet can look like they’re about to sing a duet with Kenny Rogers.
“‘Puppy Love‘ was my very first record, and six decades later, my love for pets is stronger than ever,” Dolly Parton said in a video on Twitter.
“This inspired me to start my own line of Doggy Parton apparel, accessories, toys and more with a little ‘Dolly’ flair.”
You can make your dog look like Dolly, with products like a gingham print bandana, a western-collared shirt or a pink cowgirl dress, topped off with a “blonde bombshell wig” and a cowgirl hat. Or your pets can show off their fandom with Dolly Parton t-shirts made specially for dogs.
Or, if your pets don’t like dress up, you can get them dog toys shaped like Parton’s guitar or pink high heels.
And of course, being the philanthropist Parton is, the product line will also go towards helping a good cause.
“Part of the proceeds will support Willa B Farms, a rescue where animals in need fine never-ending love,” Parton explained. “Don’t we all need that?”
According to their site, Willa B. Farms is a nonprofit located in Dolly’s home state of Tennessee, and is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating homeless, neglected, abused and abandoned animals.
Dolly Parton’s love for dogs
The “Jolene” singer has had a lifelong connection with dogs. In a 1986 interview, she recalled how her pet terrier, Popeye, prevented her from committing suicide during a dark period of her life.
“Just as I picked [the gun] up, just to hold it and look at it for a moment… Popeye came running up the stairs,” she recalled. “The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality… I suddenly froze. I put the gun down. Then I prayed.”
“I kinda believed Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God, y’know?”
Parton also has a pet cemetery on her Tennessee property, where her former pet dogs are buried, including Popeye.
In 2014, an abandoned dog was found at the Glastonbury music festival where Parton was performing. The dog was named in her honor, and the star even offered to adopt the dog if it needed a home, although this didn’t end up happening.
Parton currently has a “god dog” named Billy the Kid, a French bulldog owned by Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell.
Nozell told People Magazine in 2020 that the dog and the country superstar have a “bond that can’t be broken.”
“Dolly is like a mother to me. She laid eyes on Billy and told me that I couldn’t give this dog to any more ex-girlfriends —he would have to go to her!”
Billy the Kid has become the official dog brand ambassador for “Doggy Parton,” and his Instagram has him sporting much of the merchandise.
In one sweet video, the French bulldog is dressed in the blonde wig while Parton pretends to blow dry his hair — and Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” plays in the background:
It’s clear that Dolly Parton loves dogs, and this new business is a cute way for fans and their pets to have some fun while also supporting a good cause.
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