Massachusetts Man and His Dog Win Lottery and Plan To Donate Some Winnings to Shelter Pups

Eve Vawter
·2 min read
22

A Massachusetts man named Paul Riley picked up his lottery winnings with his dog Raven and he plans to do something absolutely awesome with some of his jackpot.

This story will be all too familiar to so many of us who have ever dreamed of winning the lottery.

CBS reports, "An animal lover, he said he plans to use some of his winnings to make a donation to the Animal Rescue League," the Lottery said in a statement.

Riley picked up a $4 million check for hitting the jackpot on a 100X Cash scratch off ticket. He decided to opt for a one-time payment and he will take home $2.6 million before taxes. That will buy a lot of dog food and spay a lot of animals!

Related: Florida Humane Society Makes Plea for Blanket Donations as Temperatures Plunge

Some cultures believe that dogs are inherently lucky and when a stray or needy dog finds you, give in. Welcoming a dog into your home is believed by some to increase a person's wealth and prosperity and help overcome obstacles.

Raven isn't the only dog that brought his owner fortune, because in 2015 a dog owner in Florida bought his own pup a scratch off ticket for his Christmas stocking. This dog ended up winning three million dollars for his family! That must have bought quite a few bags of Beggin' Strips.

At the other side of a winning lottery ticket lies a dog in Salem, Oregon who decided to eat their owner's winning ticket. The couple had left their ticket on the ottoman when the dog decided it would make a tasty treat. They were able to put the lottery ticket back together and claim their winnings - a total of $8.

How You Can Help Shelter Dogs

If you haven't won a few million dollars recently and you'd still like to help shelter dogs, any donation helps. Skip your fancy coffee shop drink for a few weeks and donate that to your local Humane Society.

You can also donate bags of food, blankets, old towels, and cleaning products. You can volunteer to foster a dog, or walk a dog, or clean out kennels or to simply spend time with shelter pups.

So many shelters across the United States are overcrowded and underfunded, and any way you can help can make a difference for shelter dogs, even if it's just a small amount.

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