by Jim Goyjer
Garden Grove, CA – March 21, 2007 - Joanne Carson, Ph.D., second wife of the late Johnny Carson, is donating a portion of the proceeds from the recently released “The Johnny Carson Show” 2-DVD box set to Hemopet’s Animal Restore Health Center. The Center is a component of the Hemopet Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery, a planned $10 million nonprofit facility for the nation’s first accommodation focused on restoring health for dogs, cats and other pets with special needs and during recovery.
“Dr. Dodds is a close friend who, like me, has a deep love for the health and well-being of animals, especially family pets,” said Dr. Carson. “This exciting facility will accommodate the recovery needs of pets and the needs of their caregivers.”
W. Jean Dodds, DVM, president of Hemopet, is spearheading a fundraising drive for a permanent two-acre, environmentally friendly, short-term rehabilitation facility in Garden Grove. It will be a facility where pets can recover from physical injury and emotional stress as a result of being rescued, from disease and from medical procedures such as major surgery.
The Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery, with its fully trained faculty and staff, will set the standard for the next generation of animal facilities. The facility will feature a unique group of apartment-style units, with support rooms, outdoor exercise yards and playgrounds, for 200 rescued greyhounds.
The Restore Health Center will provide short-term transitional and emergency care for dogs, cats and other pets; and it will offer a pet ambulance pick-up service. The care includes alternative therapies such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic and herbal medicine. A veterinary nursing service will be available to make home visits to pets that need ongoing care once they’ve returned home.
Hemopet’s community rooms will be for educating veterinarians and the public about companion animal health, nutritional testing, vaccines, holistic care, first-aid and other pet-friendly topics.
The facility will also house a diagnostic and related clinical research laboratory.
About HemopetFounded by Dr. Jean Dodds 1986, Hemopet is the country’s the first private 501 (c) (3) nonprofit animal blood bank that has since expanded worldwide. It is full-service blood bank that provides state-of-the-art blood components and supplies for transfusions to more than 2000 veterinary clinics nationwide and in Canada. The donors are all rescued greyhounds deemed unsuitable for the racing industry. They are placed in new homes through Hemopet’s unique rescue-donor-adoption program. All the dogs are neutered and receive on-site 24 hours-a-day veterinary care and maintenance. For more information visit
http://www.hemopet.orgAbout Joanne Carson
Dr. Carson was married to Johnny Carson from 1963 to 1972. She has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology and has been in private practice for 32 years. She has long been an animal activist. In 2000 Dr. Carson created a website for those whose dogs have canine epilepsy, featuring information by board certified neurologists and noted veterinarians such as Dr. Jean Dodds. Dr. Carson became interested in canine epilepsy as the result of having a dog with seizures. In the last 12 years her focus has been the health and well being of canines. She is currently writing a book based on the research and life's work of Dr. Dodds. It is called “How To Spoil Your Dog Rotten; for health and longevity." For more information visit
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com.
About W. Jean DoddsDr. Dodds is a world-renowned vaccine research scientist and practicing veterinarian. She received her D.V.M. degree with honors in 1964 from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Toronto. In 1965 she joined the New York State Health Department in Albany and began comparative studies of animals with inherited and acquired bleeding diseases. Her position there began as a Research Scientist and culminated as the chief of Laboratory of Hematology at the Wadsworth Center. In 1980 she also became Executive Director of the New York State Council on Human Blood and Transfusion Services. This work continued full-time until 1986 when she moved to Southern California to found Hemopet.
About The Johnny Carson Show 2-DVD Set – Shout FactoryWhile working as a staff writer on The Red Skelton Show, Johnny Carson filled in as host when Skelton was injured during a show rehearsal. As a result of Carson’s performance, CBS created the primetime sketch program The Johnny Carson Show, a traditional potpourri of comedy, music, dance, skits and monologues. The series served as a precursor of what would come later for Carson, planting the seeds for sketches he would perfect on The Tonight Show with his Mighty Carson Art Players. The Johnny Carson Show 2-DVD collection includes ten half-hour episodes of the 1955-56 CBS series that were thought to be lost forever! The tapes have been digitally restored for this release. For more information, visit
http://www.shoutfactorystore.com ###
JIM GOYJER ASSOCIATES
12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tel: 310-207-1524
Fax: 310-207-1584
Email: jgoyjer@jgapr.com
Printed with permission by Michelle Buckalew, Best Friends Animal Society