Campaign raises awareness for elder dogs

MORGANTOWN — Elvis Presley died in 1977, so it must have been quite odd when people descended on Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1989, following rumors of his sighting.
It turned out, people were chasing after a hound named Elvis, according to Lanny Smith. He made that humorous story into a music video, and the Quick Hide Elvis Campaign to raise money and awareness for elderly dogs.
Smith said he first heard the story of the rumored Elvis sighting while working in Nashville as a songwriter. Smith said he and T.J. Kirby wrote the song more than 30 years ago and like many songs, it sat on the shelf until its time came.
“The song works because there’s truth in it,” Smith said.
WVU students Alexandra Ferdenzi and Melanie Claus are working to promote Quick Hide Elvis as part of their capstone class. Claus said the biggest goal is to raise awareness and get people to share the campaign.
Older dogs often have a hard time getting adopted, Ferdenzi said. Most people want puppies or younger dogs, and elder dogs can be harder to take care of due to medical problems.
“Elder dogs deserve a good, loving home at the end of their life,” Ferdenzi said.
People can support the campaign and watch the music video by visiting quick hideelvis.com. Donations can be made on the site and T-shirts and a caricature of the hound Elvis can be purchased.
Smith said 60 percent of the money raised is going to The Grey Muzzle Organization — which provides funding to 66 no-kill elder dog shelters in 30 states. The shelters supported by Grey Muzzle offer care and companionship to the dogs through the end of their lives.
The rest of the money goes to supporting other environmental projects, and the artists involved in the project. An artist himself, Smith said he strongly believes in supporting creative works.
If you love dogs and you love caring for them, this is the campaign for you, Smith said.
“America needs a laugh right now,” he said, “a loving laugh, and that’s what we tried to do.”