Cookie and Coco: the frenzy
Wow, who could have guessed that our Jan. 22 post about Cookie and Coco, two San Fernando Valley-L.A. area Labrador retrievers needing a new home, would have caused such a stir?
For whatever reason, the post wound up catching fire and being passed on throughout the country via emails, bringing out offers of homes but also arousing suspicion that the whole thing must be some kind of a hoax.
Soon, the South Bay Pets Blog was getting comments flooding in from all over the place.
"My local shelter told me that this email is going around and is a hoax," wrote E. Chasen on one of our comment threads. "I received it this afternoon and it said that the dogs were in Maine."
"I just got this email yesterday from a coworker and Cookie and Coco are now from Massachusetts and still looking for a home," wrote Kathy, another commenter, on Feb 12. "Isn't the Internet a wonderful place?"
We received comments from North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Washington state, Pennsylvania and even Canada and Wales.
Most felt this was some kind of hoax.
Although I'd received the original information from a friend in San Diego -- whom I trusted completely and who had received the notice from "friends of a friend" of the family -- I began to wonder also if we'd been "had." Was the story about Cookie and Coco legit? Or was the original story somehow being twisted and morphing into an urban legend?
Kristin Coronado, features editor for the Washington Post, also began to wonder.
She'd heard the buzz on that side of the country and emailed my original source, Jim Harvey, and me asking us for some background.
"It's such a compelling story, I'd love to share it with our readers," she wrote.
And that she did.
Kristin managed to work her way back to the dogs' owner in Woodland Hills.
And, yes, the email plea for a home was sincere and very real.
The result of Kristin's investigation was a story that chronicled the frenzy that Cookie & Coco started. (The dogs, by the way, did find a new home together.)
By the second day, (the owner) had received 200 replies. "I was, like, 'Wow, gosh. There's a lot in my inbox,' she said. 'Within a week, it tripled. I think to date it's almost 10,000, if not more, e-mail responses. I've kept all of them.'"
We've posted before about dogs that are in need of homes. Why did Cookie and Coco take off like they did? Who knows. People love Labs, of course, and perhaps these two became the poster dogs, as it were, for so many beloved family pets that are being impacted by a tough economy.
At any rate, it all ended well. And I'm guessing Cookie and Coco may enjoy a never-ending loop in cyber space for a while -- but let's hope the post-script updates go along with it, that the dogs are now happily in a new home. When they wind up on Snopes.com, they will have officially arrived.
Thanks to everyone who cared so much to offer help.
***Related posts:
http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2009/01/cookie-and-coco-great-labs-nee.html
http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2009/01/update-labs-needing-new-home.html
http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2009/01/labs-an-update.html
Postscript: Woo-hoo! Patty, one of our readers, alterted us to the fact that the Labs did, indeed, make it onto Snopes.com (under a "true but outdated" tagline that hopefully will dispell any further confusion):
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cookiecoco.asp
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
Thanks Donna! Such a fun story to work on. I'm just glad it had a happy ending and didn't end up being a scam. We all could use a little more good news these days!
Hey Donna. I posted about it as well and someone told me it was a hoax. Kristin contacted me too. heheh!! Glad it wasn't a hoax!
Well they have made it. They are on Snopes.ocm
Thank you for a great story. I received the pitiful email from a friend last week, then heard a different group of friends talking about the poor pups at lunch today. When I did a search on it, I found that the dogs were being peddled from coast to coast! How wonderful to know they are real and are finally in a new, loving home together. I pray the outcome for their first family is as bright.
Yay! thanks for alerting us:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cookiecoco.asp
I am sooo glad they have found a home, I am a single mom of a teenage son and a 3 yr old male german shepherd named Logan and understand the love you develop for ones pet, I recently asked about Cookie and Coco since I first saw their photo and could not stop thinking of them. But I am glad to know they have found a home and love the update photo of them, look forward to seeing more photos of them.
Sincerely Cindy
I just received this email forward AGAIN! I responded to everyone on the email that these doggies have found homes and to please STOP forwarding it. The internet is an amazing thing....
Rachel
Bentonville, Arkansas
5/29/09
Just wondering if anyone knows where these doggies originally came from? Were they shelter or rescue dogs? Or pet store pups? If anyone knows, can they post here? ThankS!
I actually got it today, August 20 !! So I'll try to set the person who sent it to me straight so we can stop it! LOL! Amazing how this can happen. Also, I received it originally about a year ago, and wanted those adorable Labbies desperately! But since we have 3 Labs already.... I just couldn't!!!
So glad there was a happy ending to this story!!
I received the e-mail on 8/28 that the dogs needed a home. I replied to all with the website that states the dogs have been place.
Well Today is Sept. 1, 2009 and it is still circulating, with lots of people interested in helping the "babies".
I checked snopes.com and forwarded everything I found there to my hopeful friends and family members.
Thank God for Snopes! And Thank God for finding a happy ending and making this a wonderful story.
9/17/09 and still going strong in Albuquerque New Mexico
Still going strong in Springfield, IL
Found it's way to Carbondale, Illinois
I just got this email today in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
This is going around all over London ontaio and area right now . Trying to let everyone know that they are okay and have new homes.
I was at lunch today with a friend in Carmel, IN and she was telling me this remarkable story that she passed along this email that she received from her Mom yesterday.....forwarded it to a neighbor of ours who wants to adopt the dogs. All of a sudden, I asked....what were the dogs names? She replied, Cookie and Coco. Funny part was....I received the email from my cousin in Pgh, PA, I live in Carmel IN in about March. My daughters friend was sooooo excited to give these puppies a good home. The story keeps goin on and on. The good news is....there are a ton of kind people willing to help these beautiful pooches out. Everyone should go to their local shelters and help out.
I just recieved the original email about the owner looking for a home for the dogs. I live in Newfoundland, Canada and if they were closer would surely take them. So glad to hear they have found a good home. The web world surely is a small place isn't it.
Still going strong in San Francisco! My dog walker just informed me he heard about it ten months ago. Oh well, so much for being savvy in Silicon Valley.... At least our dog walkers are.
There is a special place in heaven for you Kris...wonderful ending.
Maybe you can help me or let me know who can.
I own a travel business and will not sell travel to countries that abuse animals and people
see my website www.goldstarluxurytravelclub.com
I am desparately trying to organize travel agents and/or concerned citizens to boycott these countries such as Canada, Mexico, Spain, China, Korea, Japan etc.
But really want to organize a group to boycott the Winter Olympics in Vancouver or just be their to let people know that Canada has been clubbing baby harp seals to death for more than 25 years, 300,000 per year. They now do this for no reason, since the European Union no longer buys the fur for export and nor does the US.
Thanks so very much.
All The Best,
Nancy Sant'Angelo Reyelt, President
Get Out of Town Travel
187 Wickliffe Drive
Naples, FL. 34110
(239) 596-4142
Oct 12, 2009 Just found the email posted on our bulletin board. Still out there.
HEY! YOUR PLEA FOR HELP MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO TORONTO, ONTARIO CANADA. I RECEIVED IT FROM A CO-WORKER AS WE ARE ALL PET LOVERS WAY UP HERE.
I AM SO PLEASED THAT THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL LOOKING DOGS HAVE FOUND A HOME TOGETHER. MY CO-WORKER RECENTLY FOSTERED AND THEN ADOPTED A LAB FROM A LOCAL RESCUE......SOMETHING ABOUT LABS (BEAUTY AND INTELLIGENCE) THAT APPEALS TO EVERY HEART.
HAPPY ENDS ARE THE BEST.
Well, the story of the dogs have gone international. Greetings from Taupo, New Zealand.
Another Kiwi here! Anonymous Coward, probably received this via me here in Auckland New Zealand! Lol!
My entire work crew (of at least 60) will be very happy these dogs found a home at least! But goodness knows where it's circulating now!
As a lab-lover, I forwarded this story on to half of my address book, before finding it on snopes this morning! I'm glad it is a true story, but I've had to go back and let everyone I emailed know that Coco and Cookie are doing just fine, and have been for months - on the other side of the world!!
I just received the email from one of my co-workers and being the big dog lover that I am, I decided to notify all my friends and family, to see if we could help the two dogs. The email was telling me the dogs were in Arizona.
Well I just finished sending them all an apology.
However, I am glad that the dogs found a home.
I received the original email 2 days ago from one of my friends. The email suggested that they were in Australia and having 2 fury surrogate children of my own, I fervently forwarded it onto everyone of my friends (one of whom later advised me that this was a hoax) and a radio station.
I was beside myself and couldn't beleive something like this could possibly be a cruel 'hoax' so I did my own investigations, which led me here.
What a great relief it was to discover that Cookie and Coco are well, together and happy in their adopted home.
Now I am doing my best to educate all those on the backward trail. :-)
Hello,
I am in Australia and have just received this email a couple of days ago.. I have wasted the past couple of days trying to find a home for 2 dogs on the other side of the planet so I guess my point is while I love animals please make sure that you let people know what is going on...
Wow, it's amazing tracking the email through the comments on this page... it made it all the way to Perth, on the far side of Australia - and out of my inbox! I am so embarrassed! I couldn't resist the wish to be that hero who just happened to find them the perfect home. It seems that proper dog rescue organisations are more likely heroes than strangers with email accounts.
Perth Australia... 9 months behind!