One magical dog’s tale… created by JK Rowling
Celia Fernie's initial impression was that the woman identifying herself as Mrs Murray was a "very nice lady" with a loving family - someone who would make a good home for one of her greyhounds.
It was only when she asked for a £30 donation to Greyhound Rescue Fife, which the 61-year-old runs with her husband, Jimmy, near Kirkcaldy, that she realised she had been dealing with the world's most famous children's author.
At the bottom of a cheque for £1000 was the signature millions of Harry Potter fans would die for. "When I looked at the cheque I couldn't believe it. The first thing I noticed was the amount she had made it out for," Mrs Fernie said yesterday.
"Then I spotted her name and realised who it was. I just said Oh, I didn't recognise you,' and she just smiled politely. She was a lovely woman - the whole family were very nice."
Pictures showing JK Rowling and her new dog, Sapphire, have since been posted on the Fernies' website under a Harry Potter Page link where the Edinburgh author is described as a "very private but wonderful lady".
Joanne Murray, it transpires, is the name JK Rowling uses when she wishes to avoid the burdens of her celebrity status. She is married to Neil Murray, a GP with whom she has three children.
Before adopting Sapphire, a retired racing dog, the family visited the rescue centre with their other dog, a Jack Russell called Butch, before choosing the four-year-old bitch.
But this was only after a telephone grilling by Mrs Fernie to establish whether Rowling would make a suitable dog owner.
"I always ask a person
a bit about their lifestyle
- what size their house
is, do they have a garden
and quite importantly does
it have a wall at least 6ft
high, because I would
hate for the dog to get out
and run off," Mrs Fernie recalled.
"She sounded very genuine," she added.
"I could see Sapphire was going to a good home. Now I know just how good," she said.
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Posted by: Camille Leon, Scotland on 12:52pm Tue 9 Oct 07
"Woman buys dog" - excellent story!! I've never read anything like it.
Here's an idea: a woman and her family buy a dog, and donate some money to charity - spending, in all, less than the cost of a small second-hand sapphire ring. The woman is called J Bloggs, and has three children and a husband. It happened in Scotland, where there are probably quite a number of second-hand greyhounds seeking new homes.
DRamatic development! The woman goes home and writes a book for children about her new/old dog, and makes several thousand pounds from it, which she donates to a dog-rehoming charity. The newspaper reports this, too, at great length. The woman keeps buying dogs and writing books. The dog is happy. The woman is happy. Her husband and children are happy. Small fortunes are spent by young readers on buying the woman's new series about rescue dog Sapphire, who can ride a broomstick, and has a lightning shaped scar on its nose. The publishers Bloomsbury are ecstatic at being able to reshape their business on the profits. The book chains thrill to the sound of tills filling with coinage.Parodic versions of the dog book begin to appear and several minor celebrities sign up to voice an animated version to be made in Hollywood.
Well if J Bloggs doesn't write the **** thing, somebody will...
CL, dog-lover.
"Woman buys dog" - excellent story!! I've never read anything like it.
Here's an idea: a woman and her family buy a dog, and donate some money to charity - spending, in all, less than the cost of a small second-hand sapphire ring. The woman is called J Bloggs, and has three children and a husband. It happened in Scotland, where there are probably quite a number of second-hand greyhounds seeking new homes.
DRamatic development! The woman goes home and writes a book for children about her new/old dog, and makes several thousand pounds from it, which she donates to a dog-rehoming charity. The newspaper reports this, too, at great length. The woman keeps buying dogs and writing books. The dog is happy. The woman is happy. Her husband and children are happy. Small fortunes are spent by young readers on buying the woman's new series about rescue dog Sapphire, who can ride a broomstick, and has a lightning shaped scar on its nose. The publishers Bloomsbury are ecstatic at being able to reshape their business on the profits. The book chains thrill to the sound of tills filling with coinage.Parodic versions of the dog book begin to appear and several minor celebrities sign up to voice an animated version to be made in Hollywood.
Well if J Bloggs doesn't write the **** thing, somebody will...
CL, dog-lover.
Posted by: lala, Argentina on 6:45pm Tue 9 Oct 07
I just love that woman, she's my role model
I just love that woman, she's my role model
Posted by: Sakura-chan, La-la Land on 9:34pm Tue 9 Oct 07
Hey CL,
Relax... Stop turning a kind gesture into a publicity stunt.
How about you trade in your cynicism and sarcasm for a heart and your very own Jiminy Cricket?
Hey CL,
Relax... Stop turning a kind gesture into a publicity stunt.
How about you trade in your cynicism and sarcasm for a heart and your very own Jiminy Cricket?
Posted by: Debora, United States on 9:46pm Tue 9 Oct 07
Goodness Camille Leon.........relax. Stop trying to turn a nice gesture that Jo did to a publicity stunt. Jo is one of the few 'celebritys' that is ACTUALLY awesome.....=]
Respect the creater of the awesome HP books, dude!
Goodness Camille Leon.........relax. Stop trying to turn a nice gesture that Jo did to a publicity stunt. Jo is one of the few 'celebritys' that is ACTUALLY awesome.....=]
Respect the creater of the awesome HP books, dude!
Posted by: Robyn, Nebraska; United States on 1:49am Wed 10 Oct 07
I take heart in what JK did. It shows that she isn't all about being a celeb and all about herself. She actually gave a canine a second chance at a home life. What people do not know is that 9 out of 10 Retired Racing Greyhounds are put down by the owners 'n trainers instead of trying to locate new, wonderful homes for them to spend the rest of their life in lesuire and being what every dog deserves to be, a FAMILY MEMBER not a source of income!. I admire and take my hat off to her. Well done JKROWLING! WELL DONE!
I take heart in what JK did. It shows that she isn't all about being a celeb and all about herself. She actually gave a canine a second chance at a home life. What people do not know is that 9 out of 10 Retired Racing Greyhounds are put down by the owners 'n trainers instead of trying to locate new, wonderful homes for them to spend the rest of their life in lesuire and being what every dog deserves to be, a FAMILY MEMBER not a source of income!. I admire and take my hat off to her. Well done JKROWLING! WELL DONE!
Posted by: Leah, Canada on 3:06am Wed 10 Oct 07
CL, you're obviously quite jealous, or bitter about something. That rant was poorly written and hardly made sense.
JK Rowling is wonderful. I bet that dog will live like a princess.
CL, you're obviously quite jealous, or bitter about something. That rant was poorly written and hardly made sense.
JK Rowling is wonderful. I bet that dog will live like a princess.
Posted by: jessica, US on 3:33am Wed 10 Oct 07
[quote][bold]Camille Leon[/bold] wrote:
"Woman buys dog" - excellent story!! I've never read anything like it. Here's an idea: a woman and her family buy a dog, and donate some money to charity - spending, in all, less than the cost of a small second-hand sapphire ring. The woman is called J Bloggs, and has three children and a husband. It happened in Scotland, where there are probably quite a number of second-hand greyhounds seeking new homes. DRamatic development! The woman goes home and writes a book for children about her new/old dog, and makes several thousand pounds from it, which she donates to a dog-rehoming charity. The newspaper reports this, too, at great length. The woman keeps buying dogs and writing books. The dog is happy. The woman is happy. Her husband and children are happy. Small fortunes are spent by young readers on buying the woman's new series about rescue dog Sapphire, who can ride a broomstick, and has a lightning shaped scar on its nose. The publishers Bloomsbury are ecstatic at being able to reshape their business on the profits. The book chains thrill to the sound of tills filling with coinage.Parodic versions of the dog book begin to appear and several minor celebrities sign up to voice an animated version to be made in Hollywood. Well if J Bloggs doesn't write the **** thing, somebody will... CL, dog-lover. [/quote] couldn't laugh hard enough
Camille Leon wrote:
"Woman buys dog" - excellent story!! I've never read anything like it. Here's an idea: a woman and her family buy a dog, and donate some money to charity - spending, in all, less than the cost of a small second-hand sapphire ring. The woman is called J Bloggs, and has three children and a husband. It happened in Scotland, where there are probably quite a number of second-hand greyhounds seeking new homes. DRamatic development! The woman goes home and writes a book for children about her new/old dog, and makes several thousand pounds from it, which she donates to a dog-rehoming charity. The newspaper reports this, too, at great length. The woman keeps buying dogs and writing books. The dog is happy. The woman is happy. Her husband and children are happy. Small fortunes are spent by young readers on buying the woman's new series about rescue dog Sapphire, who can ride a broomstick, and has a lightning shaped scar on its nose. The publishers Bloomsbury are ecstatic at being able to reshape their business on the profits. The book chains thrill to the sound of tills filling with coinage.Parodic versions of the dog book begin to appear and several minor celebrities sign up to voice an animated version to be made in Hollywood. Well if J Bloggs doesn't write the **** thing, somebody will... CL, dog-lover.
couldn't laugh hard enough
Posted by: camille leon, scotland on 10:24am Wed 10 Oct 07
Doh! Some of you can't even spell satire.
This was a jibe at the newspaper report - such a non-story it can hardly be called journalism, more like a people's friend story - and at the publishing industry - which for instance considers Madonna's children's books to be literature suited to small minds rather than barking mad new-age religious nonsense dressed up in new and very chic clothes, and whch could sell anything if it felt there was a celebrity component to hike the price - and yes even at the greyhound racing circuit's breeders, who are irresponsible in perpetuating the system of redundancy. Man is the cruellest animal by far. Man also chases scraps of fur, aka celebrity books.
However, for all with a missing sense of lightness and humour, it was not aimed at JKR, and now written with bitterness; though of course we await her next literary endeavour with interest....
Doh! Some of you can't even spell satire.
This was a jibe at the newspaper report - such a non-story it can hardly be called journalism, more like a people's friend story - and at the publishing industry - which for instance considers Madonna's children's books to be literature suited to small minds rather than barking mad new-age religious nonsense dressed up in new and very chic clothes, and whch could sell anything if it felt there was a celebrity component to hike the price - and yes even at the greyhound racing circuit's breeders, who are irresponsible in perpetuating the system of redundancy. Man is the cruellest animal by far. Man also chases scraps of fur, aka celebrity books.
However, for all with a missing sense of lightness and humour, it was not aimed at JKR, and now written with bitterness; though of course we await her next literary endeavour with interest....
Posted by: camille leon, Scotland on 10:29am Wed 10 Oct 07
Oops - of course I meant NOT written with bitterness, not 'now' written - oh, please yourselves.
and to Leah from Canada - 'that dog will live like a princess' - oh, sob! How priceless, a princess dog, of course that IS fertile territory for humour and a series of children's books....
:-)
Oops - of course I meant NOT written with bitterness, not 'now' written - oh, please yourselves.
and to Leah from Canada - 'that dog will live like a princess' - oh, sob! How priceless, a princess dog, of course that IS fertile territory for humour and a series of children's books....
:-)
Posted by: Holly Baker, North England on 1:00pm Wed 10 Oct 07
Who cares whether, JK writes a book based on an ex racer. As long as the plight of ex racers is written, read and talked about.
Anything to highlight the dreadful abuse of greyhounds within the racing industry is good in my book.
I applaud her for not spending £1,000 on some purpose bred dog to keep in with current trends. Yes ......WELL DONE JK!
JK....you may have however, set a trend for your avid fans in adopting an ex racer, which would only perpetuate the misery of greyhounds within the existing industry. How about balancing the books and making a public statement against Greyhound Racing and bring an end to the misery for good. Im sure your imagination and diplomacy can engineer a subtle statement at the very least.
Who cares whether, JK writes a book based on an ex racer. As long as the plight of ex racers is written, read and talked about.
Anything to highlight the dreadful abuse of greyhounds within the racing industry is good in my book.
I applaud her for not spending £1,000 on some purpose bred dog to keep in with current trends. Yes ......WELL DONE JK!
JK....you may have however, set a trend for your avid fans in adopting an ex racer, which would only perpetuate the misery of greyhounds within the existing industry. How about balancing the books and making a public statement against Greyhound Racing and bring an end to the misery for good. Im sure your imagination and diplomacy can engineer a subtle statement at the very least.
Posted by: Sybellia, Brisbane, Australia on 10:43pm Wed 10 Oct 07
I think anything that raises awareness about animal rescue services is wonderful.
I think anything that raises awareness about animal rescue services is wonderful.
Posted by: Jenny, United States on 4:30am Fri 12 Oct 07
Its nice to see that Ms. Rowling welcomed a hound into her life..... I'm happy to welcome her into the "cult" of the greyhound. Its also kind of her to donate over and above the adoption cost to the group, that generosity will help vet and feed the fosters still waiting for a couch of their own.
If you check out the website The Leaky Couldrin, you'll see great pics of her new baby.
Its nice to see that Ms. Rowling welcomed a hound into her life..... I'm happy to welcome her into the "cult" of the greyhound. Its also kind of her to donate over and above the adoption cost to the group, that generosity will help vet and feed the fosters still waiting for a couch of their own.
If you check out the website The Leaky Couldrin, you'll see great pics of her new baby.
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