Archie, the 8-year-old black Lab recently named 2009 Dog of the Year by the ASPCA, died suddenly last week of an apparent heart attack, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Owned by Clay Rankin, an Army sergeant who was injured in Iraq, Archie had been his service dog for four years, helping Rankin cope with physical challenges, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulty with crowds.
“Archie’s loyalty and perseverance in helping Sgt. Rankin accomplish his daily tasks has allowed the veteran to regain his confidence and independence, move forward with his life and continue serving the country he loves,” the ASPCA noted in bestowing the award.
Rankin, who serves as an advocate for other veterans, received the dog through Patriot Paws, a Texas organization that trains service dogs for veterans with disabilities .
(Photo: Rankin, Archie and Lori Stevens, founder of Patriot Paws)
I’m not exactly gaga for Lady Gaga. Call me old fashioned but I think the video above would have benefited from a little more of the Great Danes and a little less Gaga. Be that as it may, the reason Lady Gaga — who unfortunately doesn’t come in a decaffienated version — is making her first appearance on ohmidog! is because Rumpus, one of the two Harlequin Great Danes that appear in her music video “Poker Face,” has passed away.
The five-year-old dog — the one on the right side in the video above, who appeared as well in Lady Gaga’s “Love Game,” “Paparazzi” and “Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” — died earlier this month after a Los Angeles hike.
The dog’s owner, Suzzane Kellher-Duckett, told TMZ the award-winning show dog’s death was unexpected. He showed no signs of injury and appeared to be in good health. Kelleher-Duckett says a necropsy was performed and results are pending.
Rumpus was also supposed to appear in Lady Gaga’s video for “Bad Romance,” but because of his death, his fellow co-star and mother, Lava, will now do the video.
