The Sam Simon Foundation and the "Dog Nut"

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

06 Mar 2007 03:32 PM

More and more as I get older I find myself getting a little bit jaded about the world we live in. Too much of a gap between the haves and the have nots, too many who are in positions to do good with their fame and/or wealth but don't, too much emphasis on the negative, etc.

But every once in a while I stumble across a story of good that renews my faith in people. On Sunday night I ran across such a story while watching 60 Minutes. Morley Safer did a piece called "Meet Sam Simon, The Dog Nut."

Sam Simon, co-creator of the Simpsons, hasn't worked on the show since 1993. However, he still receives royalties from it, plus licensing fees on the characters, and a percentage of DVD sales. It equates to millions of dollars each year.

What does he do with it?

Pays mortgage and bills like the rest of us average schmoes, sure, and he has one heck of an art collection, but he also does something great. He puts an exorbitant amount towards rescuing shelter dogs.

He created the Sam Simon Foundation, which scouts shelters in southern California for dogs who would make suitable assistance dogs. When a candidate's found, it's brought to Sam's six acre place in Malibu and trained to become a Hearing Dog.

The SSF is also trying to fight overpopulation. They have a mobile clinic with state-of-the-art veterinary capabilities that visits low-income neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles and offers free spaying and neutering. (Their catchphrase is cute: "Yo, Dawg! Neuter your Dog!")

At one point during the interview, Mr. Safer asked Mr. Simon "Let me be very rude and ask how much this costs you a year?"

He replied, "I don't even know. It's millions. It's well spent just for the pleasure it gives me, honestly."

And I believed him, because he said it so sincerely and there was such a light in his eyes. He loves his dogs, both past and present, as was evident when he talked about one in particular who's since departed: Lono. Apparently this dog was no angel, but it was his wild abandon and crazy misbehavior that captured Mr. Simon's heart and could still crack him up laughing even now.

When it comes down to it, that's the gift dogs give us: themselves, be they good, bad, or just "nuts." Mr. Simon's foundation saves dogs who will ultimately give this gift to others and that is doggone remarkable.

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Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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