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‘Absolutely Anything’ Stars Robin Williams as Voice of Talking Dog

The last of four movies Robin Williams had completed before he took his own life Aug. 11, 2014, was the live-action “Absolutely Anything,” about Neil Clarke (Simon Pegg), a teacher who is granted the ability to do exactly what the title says by aliens who observe him from outer space. (The aliens’ voices are provided by John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and other “Monty Python” alumni).

The first thing Clarke decides to do? He asks his dog, Dennis, to talk.

The first thing Dennis says? “Biscuit!” The dog’s voice is provided by Williams. “Biscuit! Please, please, please! Nothing else matters. …Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind shagging your leg right now.”

“Absolutely Anything” opens in theaters this Friday, Aug. 14.

The film’s producer, Mike Medavoy, told BuzzFeed News last year that it took Williams a while to find the right voice for the dog.

“What was interesting was he started off doing it one way — tried it, it didn’t quite work,” Medavoy said. “Then, the [filmmakers] came over from London. He tried it again. And then … he called and he said, ‘I just had an inspiration. I just figured out how to do it.’”

Williams himself paid for the studio time to re-record his role.

“Absolutely Anything” also marks the first time in nearly two decades that “Monty Python” alums Cleese and Gilliam, along with Eric Idle and Michael Palin, have done a project together. The film was directed and co-written by their fellow alum, Terry Jones.

“Just by its farcical nature, this movie lent itself to those guys,” producer Chris Chesser told Entertainment Weekly (EW) back in January 2012.

Williams was with the project since its inception over two years ago.

“One thing we’re grateful to Robin for is he was the first to come on and he stuck with the whole thing,” co-screenwriter Gavin Scott told Deadline Hollywood. “The kind of attitude that led him to stick with the project through all its ups and downs, he totally exhibited here. He wanted to make everybody feel good, from the engineer to the lady making the coffee. It was very late in the day for him and we didn’t know that, but he was a real mensch.”

Medavoy told BuzzFeed News he understood why Williams’ death broke the hearts of people both in and out of show business.

“There’s a reason why so many people have rallied [around him],” he said. “A lot of people in the business really liked him.”

Williams’ final on-screen role was in “Boulevard,” which is still playing in some theaters and will be released on DVD Sept. 1.

Here’s the trailer for “Absolutely Anything.” When Clarke wishes that everyone who died could be alive again, a certain much-missed comedian immediately springs to mind.

Photos: John J. Kruzel / American Forces Press Service; YouTube

Portions of this post were originally published Aug. 13, 2014.

FundMyPet: The First Crowdfunding Site Exclusively for Pets in Need

It’s a quandary many of us pet parents eventually have to face: How can we get our dogs the veterinary care they need when the costs are often more than we can afford? In heartbreaking worst-case scenarios, dogs and other pets have been euthanized because their pet parents simply could not pay for their care.

Fortunately, the growing popularity of online crowdfunding sites has helped save and improve the lives of many dogs. Through these sites, people can donate as little or as much money as they want toward a dog’s veterinary bill.

But until FundMyPet.com was launched late last year, there was no crowdfunding site dedicated exclusively to pets.

It was inspired by Zane, a German Shepherd who started showing symptoms of hip dysplasia when he was only 6 months old. His dog dad, Brad Maver of Ontario, Canada, couldn’t afford the estimated surgery cost of over $2,000 – but he wasn’t about to let Zane suffer. So he and another animal lover, Chantal Locke, founded FundMyPet in December 2014 to help Zane and other pets get the veterinary services they needed.

“We are extremely passionate about helping animals and are very excited to have created a website that has the potential to save animals’ lives,” Maver said.

FundMyPet simplifies the process of creating an online fundraising campaign, sharing it on social media and accepting donations from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

As with other crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe.com, pet parents set up an account on FundMyPet.com, create a title for their campaign, and add a photo and story about their pet. The account is connected to Stripe.com, a payment processor similar to PayPal that ensures secure online transactions. Donations are automatically transferred to the pet parent’s bank account within seven days.

Pet parents are encouraged to share the campaign on social media. FundMyPet shares each campaign on its social media accounts as well, ensuring they get as much attention and as many donations as possible.

“While we do allow campaigns for just about any pet expenses, our primary intent is to aid with unexpected pet emergencies and steep vet bills,” Maver said. “We are advocates for responsible pet ownership and always encourage anyone looking into getting a pet to research the costs involved with pet ownership.”

To set up an account or donate to a campaign, visit FundMyPet.com.

Photos courtesy of FundMyPet.com

Have you ever used a crowdfunding site to raise money to pay your dog’s vet bill? Please leave a comment below.

Former Petco Employees Face Misdemeanor Charge for Death of Dog in Drying Cage

Colby, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, died of heatstroke May 31 after being left in a drying cage at a Petco grooming salon in Midlothian, Va.

The store’s assistant manager told Colby’s dog mom, Allison Marks, that a groomer put Colby in the cage and then left the store to go to a graduation party.

In a statement June 4, Petco said it took full responsibility for the tragedy and the company was “heartbroken over Colby’s untimely passing.” The employee was terminated.

This week, former Petco employees Suzanne C. Jensen and Rebecca L. Witherspoon were charged with a class 4 misdemeanor for animal neglect.

“After consultation with the Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s attorney’s office, animal services officers obtained summonses for animal neglect,” the Chesterfield Police Dept. said in a news release today.

Jensen told WTVR she was “completely shocked” by the charge. She claimed she was not in charge of Colby when he died, and the store’s broken air-conditioning unit contributed to his death. She said she plans to fight the charge.

The maximum penalty Jensen and Witherspoon are facing for Colby’s death is a $250 fine.

In a statement, Marks said she was pleased with the charges.

“I am glad to see there will be justice for Colby’s death,” she said. “I am still extremely thankful for all the continuous support and prayers during this difficult time!”

To prevent similar tragedies in the future, Petco said it would remove drying cages from all of its grooming salons and provide additional training to groomers. The company said no heat was used in the drying cages, but didn’t offer an explanation as to why Colby died of heatstroke.

Photo via Twitter

Veterinarian Saves Woman Who Had Heart Attack When Dog Euthanized

As veterinarian Matthew Fry gave a lethal injection last month to Daisy, Lizzie Bevis’ Jack Russell Terrier, Bevis started making loud noises. She then fell to the floor and turned blue.

Bevis, only 30 years old, had suffered a heart attack.

Dr. Fry phoned for emergency help, summoned his assistant to give Bevis oxygen from a mask normally used for pets, and began performing CPR.

“I thought Lizzie had just fainted, but unfortunately we realized she’d had a heart attack,” Dr. Fry, of Quarrington Veterinary Surgery in Lincolnshire, England, told the Mirror. “At that point, things really went into high gear.”

Paramedics arrived within minutes and rushed Bevis to Lincoln Hospital, where she was put into a medically induced coma. Two days later, Bevis was transferred to another hospital, where it was discovered she has a rare and potentially fatal heart condition in which stress causes irregular heartbeats. A defibrillator was surgically implanted in Bevis’ heart. It will start working if her heart stops beating.

“I vaguely remember waking up in Lincoln Hospital and being told I’d had a heart attack and I was very lucky to be alive,” Bevis told the Mirror.

Bevis said she was grateful to Dr. Fry for saving her life, and thanked him with a homemade cake.

Dr. Fry told the Daily Star that all veterinarians are trained in performing CPR — but on animals, not humans.

“The difference is animals’ chests are a lot deeper, whereas ours are quite wide but more shallow,” he said.

“This was the first time I’d had to do it on a human and I hope I never have to again.”

Photo via Facebook

Bill Berloni, Trainer of Dog Actors, Stars in New Reality Series

As part of its month-long “Pawgust” dog-themed programming event, Discovery Family is debuting the new reality series, “From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni.”

Each hour-long episode will show Berloni working as a dog actor trainer as well as in his role as the director of animal training and behavior for the Humane Society of New York.

Berloni has trained dogs for Broadway shows, movies and television ever since he was 19, when he trained Sandy — a rescued pound pup — for the original 1977 Broadway production of “Annie.” Coming full circle, Berloni trained another Sandy (also a rescued pound pup) for the 2014 “Annie” movie remake.

He also trained his own Poodle mix, Bowdie, for the part of Nana in “Peter Pan Live” on NBC last December. It was the first time an actual dog, not a costumed actor, played the role. And according to most social media users and some critics, Bowdie pretty much stole the show from the rest of the cast — including much-talked-about Christopher Walken as Captain Hook.

Every dog Berloni has ever worked with has been rescued from a shelter.

“When I was assigned to find the first Sandy, there was no budget for it, and somebody said they have cheap dogs at the pound,” he told Classicalite. “The day I went looking was an eye-opening experience. I had never been to an animal shelter. I never knew that animals were abandoned and abused and had an expiration date when they’d be put to sleep. That day, I made a promise to myself that if I ever got a dog I would get a rescue dog.”

Berloni “is truly a unique breed: a brilliant trainer with a big heart,” said Tom Cosgrove, general manager of Discovery Family Channel, in a press release. “This new series will charm the entire family with adorably gifted animals, larger-than-life characters and the amusing chaos that comes with owning a veritable backyard zoo.”

The “backyard zoo” Cosgrove refers to is the sanctuary for retired dog actors at Berloni’s home in Connecticut. Berloni, his wife Dorothy and daughter Jenna currently have 26 dogs as well as 15 other pets, including ducklings and a donkey.

“From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni” premieres Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Central Time) on Discovery Family.

Photo: PR Newswire

This story was originally posted March 30, 2015.