Back in 1927, the legendary Sid Grauman, who came up with the idea of the gala movie premiere also came up with the gimmick of putting stars' hand and footprints in cement…the first were Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Norma Talmadge. Since then the forecourt of this grand theatre has become the ultimate Hollywood shrine. Going to Hollywood and not visiting the Chinese Theatre's Forecourt would be like going to The Big Apple and not seeing the Statue of Liberty! Tourists come from across the globe and place their own hands and feet into the impressions left behind by their favorite celebrities. Some want to see if they share a size while others just want to feel closer to their idols.
Has Hollywoood Gone to the Dogs
Long before that light bulb flashed over Mr. Grauman's head, our canine friends had been practicing the art of leaving their mark wherever they went. This gave Paul Walter of Los Angeles, California, and his wife an idea, so they found a concrete way to merge the two. For each new arrival to their pack and for special canine birthdays, they make sure that their own furry kids are immortalized in their backyard Pawllywood Walk of Fame.
The idea started with the first dog the couple shared the privilege of parenting together. They took her everywhere and were one day strolling Graumann's Forecourt and realized that even Lassie didn't have her own paw prints there. At home, they poured cement into a square mold, helped their Labrador Retriever place her paw in the center and then added the dog's name and the date by writing with a pointed pencil.
Adding Glitz and Glamour
To dress things ups, the couple purchased heart or bone-shaped tags that they engrave at the local pet store to identify the breed or include a message, such as 'Welcome to the Family Bonsai' or 'We Love Duchess the Sheltie' The tags add a little glitz and glamour which is what Hollywood is all about, and it seems they have a paws-itively good time making a forever memory together.
The Walters' backyard now proudly displays seven stones which remind them of those happy moments in time. Recently they caught a glimpse of their Akita puppy placing his smallish paw into the much larger imprint of his Labrador sibling. Maybe he was trying to see if he could fill his big brother's paw step, or was he dreaming about sharing the same paw size as his hero?
The sky is the limit on fun things to do with and for your dogs.
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