Dolly Parton’s Husband ‘Grieved Uncontrollably for a Year’ After His Dog Died
Dolly Parton has always had a special place in her heart for dogs. She and her husband, Carl Dean, are both fond of the furry companions. Parton says her husband was once so devastated after the death of his dog that he “grieved uncontrollably for a year.”
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean love dogs
One source of connection between Parton and her husband is their love of dogs. In her book Dolly Parton: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, Parton says her husband shows his sensitivity when it comes to dogs. She says he has had dogs ever since he was a young boy.
Years ago, Parton bought a new dog for her husband after his dog died. She decided to buy him a Boston terrier like the one he had as a child. Dean named him Popeye because he thought the dog’s eyes looked like they popped out.
Parton says her husband loved Popeye dearly. They usually kept their dogs outside, but she says he was so fond of the dog that he was kept indoors. “Popeye was different,” says Parton. “He was like a new kid in the house.”
Their “new kid” was quite active. Parton says the dog chewed through their couch, tore up their chairs, stained the carpets, and tore the drapes. Parton says Dean loved this dog so much that he overlooked the ruined furniture. She describes how he would cuddle the dog and “hold him just like a baby.”
Dolly Parton’s husband ‘grieved uncontrollably’ after the death of his dog
A few years later, Dean’s dog became very sick. Parton and Dean were able to have Popeye treated with a new drug being tested at Auburn University. Fortunately, the drug treatments helped, and his life was extended for a few more years. However, Parton says all the drugs and the stress of being sick weakened the dog’s heart. He died while he was sleeping in Dean’s chair.
Parton says she “had never seen a man more grief-stricken.” Dean built a small coffin for his furry friend and wrapped him in a robe of Parton’s that the dog enjoyed sleeping on. He then buried Popeye in the front yard. The grave was located below their bedroom window.
Parton says Dean was so broken over the death of his dog that the “grieved uncontrollably for a year.” According to Parton, Dean couldn’t bear to see the dog’s toys or pictures. He was so grief-stricken that he had to put anything that reminded him of Popeye away. Parton says it took her husband three years to get over the death of his dog.
Dolly Parton says her husband didn’t want another dog
The death of Popeye hurt Dean so much that he couldn’t bear to get another dog. Parton says she honored Popeye’s memory by building a fence around his grave and adding a stone grave marker in the shape of a Boston terrier. She jokes that the stone is “just about as tough as Popeye was.”
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