Throughout the 249 episodes of the hit series Kid, the courageous Collie saved the life of young Timmy Martin on several occasions. Now the former child star who played the beloved fictional character has given a new life to an elderly dog.
Photo courtesy of the Jon Provost Collection
Actor Jon Provost and his wife Laurie Jacobson recently took on the roles of real-life pet parents to Casper, a 12-year-old Maltese mix from Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.
Having shared their home with other mature dogs (starting in 2008 with Buddy, a special needs shelter dog who had suffered from neglect and abuse), the couple knew they wanted to welcome another canine companion older in their family.
How they knew Casper was the one
Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson with Casper. Photo courtesy of Michelle Cooke
Telling the story of how Casper became a part of their lives, Laurie Jacobson said:
“I checked the dogs available page daily on Muttville.org and observed the dogs on Zoom. Once Casper showed up on the Muttville website, we were interested.
“After reading his rave review, we knew he was for us. First, he said he was wonderful with children. It was number one because our grandchildren visit us every week.
“He also says he loves people and other dogs. Jon and I make personal appearances in crowded situations and often with other dogs, so that was important. And he said he was a very loving dog – oh yeah – perfection.
“We were excited to find him at the Muttville adoption event in San Francisco, and we could see that everything we read about him was true…lots of tail wagging and love from Casper . But almost immediately, someone asked him to take him for a walk. We thought, “That’s it, we’ve lost him.” » But miracle of miracles, they didn’t take it! We jumped at the chance to make it our own.
“We have to say the adoption process was fantastic. I had contacted people with questions before going to the event and received a lot of help from administrators as well as host parents. The volunteers at adoption day were very kind and helpful. The way the dogs were presented was so much fun…the whole process was so positive. And the icing on the cake was that we came home with Casper.
Photo courtesy of Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson
Just as Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson were thrilled to become Casper’s parents, everyone in Muttville was thrilled that the Maltese senior had found someone special to love.
Michelle Cooke, a volunteer adoption counselor in Muttville who secured Casper’s adoption, said: “Jon and Laurie particularly liked Casper because he seemed very sociable and comfortable around people and other dogs, because he would be part of his life with them. They were very cute in their interactions with Casper. I’m glad Casper went home with them!
Muttville Founder Sherri Franklin said, “We couldn’t be happier to have a living legend, Jon Provost, the original Timmy of Kid, adopt one of our senior dogs! A true dog loving family, we are honored.
About Muttville
The first cage-free facility in the United States and the first senior dog rescue in the state of California, San Francisco-based Muttville Senior Dog Rescue was established in 2007 and has since saved the lives of more than 11,190 senior dogs .
To enjoy a virtual visit with the vintage dogs cared for by the rescue organization, be sure to check out Muttville’s Wagcam every day from noon to 4 p.m. PT!