Joanne Carson made news last year when she uncovered 10 forgotten episodes of “The Johnny Carson Show” in the climate-controlled wine cabinet in her Beverly Hills home.
Now she’s making news again, this time for donating a portion of the proceeds from the recently released “The Johnny Carson Show” DVD box set to Hemopet’s Animal Restore Health Center.
The Health Center is a component of the Hemopet Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery, a planned $10 million nonprofit facility in Garden Grove, Calif. The Health Center will include a short-term rehabilitation clinic, and provide alternative therapies such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, and herbal medicine. A veterinary nursing service will be available to make home visits to recuperating dogs and cats.
“Dr. [W. Jean] Dodds [DVM, the president of Hemopet], is a close friend who, like me, has a deep love for the health and well-being of animals, especially family pets,” said Carson in a statement. “This exciting facility will accommodate the recovery needs of pets and the needs of their caregivers.”
“The Johnny Carson Show” featured Carson in the days before he went on to fame as the host of “The Tonight Show.” The black-and-white films that Carson uncovered were part of a series of gifts from her former husband, whom she divorced in 1972 after nine years of marriage.
“About a year before Johnny died, he said, ‘Jo, do me a favor. Take those films someday, put them on DVD and share them. Because there aren’t going to be anymore,’” Carson recalled to CNN.
Johnny Carson died in 2005 at 79 of emphysema.
Joanne Carson has a Ph.D. in physiology and was in private practice as a metabolic therapist for 15 years. In 2000, Carson created an informational website (www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com) about canine epilepsy, after her own dog fell ill with the disease.
She is currently writing a book based on Dodd’s research called “Spoil Your Dog Rotten: A Scientifically Proven Program for the Health and Longevity of Your Best Friend.”
Visit www.shoutfactorystore.com for information on “The Johnny Carson Show” DVD set, and www.hemopet.com for more information on the Hemopet Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery.