After all the wonderful work Betty White has done for animals in her life it only seems fitting that she now has gone to the dogs – well … hot dogs. The six-time Emmy Award winner, who because a TV icon as Sue Ann Nivens on Mary Tyler Moore and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, was at Universal City Walk today for the grand opening of the legendary hot dog stand, Pink’s.
The Pink family opened its one-and-only hot dog stand in Hollywood, at La Brea, in 1939, which draws hungry crowds at all hours of the day and night. Seventy-one years later, the family decided it was time for another Pink’s – which is located upstairs at Universal City Walk.
To celebrate the new venue, they are naming a hot dog in honor of Betty White. “I have loved Pink’s hot dogs for ever and ever,” said the actress, “but when they said they were going to name one after me, I said, ‘How can you do that, because I don’t put anything on it. I just have the wiener and the bun.’ So they said, ’Well, (we’ll call it) a ‘Naked Hot Dog.’ I wish they had never thought of that!”
As she cut the pink ribbon, she announced, “I can now say that a new Pink’s is open!”
All the proceeds from the event today benefited LA Animal Services’ East and West Valley Animal Shelters. And representing those locations was Mustard, a beautiful little pooch who was brought by the General Manager for Animal Services, Kathy Davis.
“Pink was kind enough to link us with Betty White,” Davis said. “She has an amazing charity that benefits dogs, so we were really tickled to be a part of this today and support both Pink’s and hopefully get an adoption for this cute little guy.”
She told me she particularly chose Mustard to bring with her because, “he’s a stray and has been in our shelter for about a week. We picked him up on the street where he was foraging for his next meal. He’s such a calm, wonderful tender-hearted little dog that we thought it was a great opportunity for him to get some exposure and for him to meet a celebrity!”
If you live in the LA area and you are looking to adopt a puppy, I urge you to go to the shelter and meet Mustard – he’s adorable and desperately needs a home. The phone number to call to come in and meet Mustard is 213-923-3440
Thanks from me, Betty and Mustard!
