Stray Pup Finds Home, TV Career : Cassidy Hops Along Just Fine on All 3

For a pup who grew up homeless roaming the hills of Sun Valley on three legs, life has turned out pretty good for Cassidy.

Given a permanent home by employees at the East Valley Animal Shelter, Cassidy, in what could be termed a canine Horatio Alger story, is now an accomplished actor with three television appearances to his credit.

And when the San Fernando Valley’s annual march for the March of Dimes steps off at 8 a.m. today at Mulholland Junior High School in Van Nuys, Cassidy will be leading the pack, having raised about $200 from people sponsoring his participation.

“He could probably go the full 20 kilometers,” Los Angeles animal control officer Lisa Goodman said, but she figures animal lovers who didn’t see Cassidy galloping through the hills of Sun Valley might get upset.

“We’ll probably go just a mile or two,” she said.

Named After Hopalong

It was both fortunate and understandable that, of the thousands of dogs collected at the shelter every year, employees grew attached to Cassidy, named after the 1950s television star Hopalong Cassidy.

Three-legged dogs are extremely rare, Goodman said, and because Cassidy apparently lost his leg at an early age (he’s now about 6 years old) he is extremely coordinated. Cassidy does lightning-fast sprints around the East Valley kennels--prompting choruses of woofs and barks from his caged compatriots--and at the snap of fingers he can leap on the hood of a car.

Lt. James Connelly, regulations officer, said Cassidy’s leg was either surgically removed or the result of a heredity disfigurement. It’s difficult to tell, he said, because the small stump is so fully healed.

Spotted by Studio Officials

Universal Studio officials caught sight of Cassidy during one of his charity appearances, and in no time he was performing in such television series as “Hill Street Blues,” “Simon and Simon” and “He’s the Mayor.”

Money paid for Cassidy’s television appearances is used to provide repairs and supplies at the East Valley Animal Shelter, Connelly said.

The role in Hill Street Blues was a biggie, earning Cassidy a $150 fee.

“He had to jump on a bed and roll over on his back,” Goodman said.

Cassidy also got a few speaking, er, barking, er, whining lines.

“He had to whine for a sausage a sergeant was cooking,” Goodman said.