Dolly Parton: singer, songwriter, national treasure, and dog lover. On Sunday, the country legend offered to adopt a fluffy tail-wagger left behind at England’s Glastonbury music festival last week following her acclaimed performance.
The white dog was discovered in one of the 5,000 vacated tents during a massive, post-festival cleanup effort on the 900-acre site in Somerset. The adorable dog, who was seemingly smuggled in to the fest (dogs aren’t allowed), was found amid piles of trash. Even worse, she was thirsty, stressed and nearly overcome by the heat inside the tent.
Rescuers dubbed the abandoned canine Dolly as a tribute to Parton, who drew a record-breaking crowd at the event.
Dolly was brought to the nearby Happy Landings Animal Shelter, where she was treated for a serious ear infection and found to be “sweet-natured.” It didn’t take long for her story to go viral.
Offers to adopt the dog have poured into the shelter, and now Parton herself has promised to provide her namesake with a forever home, if needed.
“I had my manager call the Happy Landings Animal Shelter to make sure the dog is being treated and cared for properly,” says Dolly. “At this time, nobody has claimed the dog, and the dog is in great hands at the shelter.”
She added via Twitter on Monday morning, “Heard about the abandoned dog at @GlastoFest? If nobody claims her, I’ll take her home to America! Ain’t she cute :)”
Parton, who has been known to put her love for dogs into song, also sent out a video message to share her feelings and raise awareness for the pooch.
“I was sad that someone left a little dog behind. How could that be?” wondered Parton. “But I’m hoping that they do find the owners, maybe they just lost her, but in the meantime, everybody’s on top of it.”
She adds how “very honored and flattered” she is that the dog was named after her.
The shelter points out that it has no intention of just handing Dolly the dog over should the owner turn up. She is currently in a foster home.
Happy Landings calls Parton’s adoption offer “very kind and lovely” but notes that the dog is still available.