Sydney, January 29: He made the cover of countless magazines, penned a bestseller and was mobbed wherever he went during a 14-year career in radio and television.
“It was a combination of his unusual chocolate-brown markings and his extroverted nature that made him The One,” celebrity vet Katrina Warren said Friday when announcing the death of A-lister Toby the Wonderdog.
The border collie, who died peacefully at home at age 14, posed for his first magazine spread at only 10 weeks old. Broadcast to the nation were his first bath, first vaccination and first worming treatment.
Toby’s starring role in the long-running “Harry’s Practice” made him one of Australia’s most recognizable and bankable stars.
After six years with the hit television series, Toby parlayed his fame onto the bookstands with the Wonderdog training manual and even onto radio with barks to questions posed by callers.
“He always seemed to have a cheeky grin and a smile for the camera,” a fan called Hayley posted on a tribute website. “Oh what a great dog xx.”
Warren said “Toby knew he was destined for fame” when she picked him out of a litter of seven.
“We must celebrate not only Toby’s extraordinary journey and his relationship with me but the way our four-legged friends enrich our lives and make the world a better place,” Warren said. “Toby – you were my best friend, and you will forever be in my heart.”
–IANS–