Story by Pat Atkinson
Roxanne Scratches Up Lotto Fame, Fortune
Roxanne is a Lucky Dog and that makes her lucky for lottery players.
Hand over a buck for a “scratcher” Lucky Dog card and odds are that one time in 10 you’ll draw a ticket picturing this fluffy gray and white Alaskan Malamute. Scratch off the paw prints for a chance at winning up to $1,000.
Vickie and Michael Chamberlain, Owasso residents and life-long Oklahomans, are Roxanne’s people, proud parents of their famous 5-year old big girl.
Vickie, art teacher at Collinsville Middle School, and Michael, owner of Printed Products, are regulars at the lottery game, one way they support education in the state.
A few months ago, they read about the Lucky Dog contest on the Oklahoma lottery web site.
“When I saw they were advertising a Lucky Dog contest, I sent in pictures of both our dogs, Roxanne and Raider,” Vickie recalls. Both dogs pictured in a snow scene, “I really thought Raider would win since his photograph was better.” Raider’s the younger, more laid-back guy Malamute in the family.
As word spread, thousands of Oklahomans entered their dogs. “There were pages and pages of the contestants on the web site,” Vickie says.
Then came the phone call – Roxanne’s now one of 10 selected for rotation on the cards. Each dog’s face is portrait-style above nine paw print scratch-offs, which uncover winning amounts ranging from a free ticket to cash of $1 to $1,000. Three like amounts and that’s what holders win.
“Of course, Rox is the best looking of every 10 cards produced,” Michael proudly notes. “These two dogs are like our kids and both are from champion bloodlines.”
Malamutes are large, powerful sled dogs – each about 130 pounds — often called teddy bears because they are soft, fluffy, friendly and love attention.
Roxanne is daddy’s girl, according to Vickie, and Michael says her favorite activities are going for walks, tummy rubs and watching TV’s “Animal Planet.”
Raider is Vickie’s boy, nicknamed “Refrigerator Raider.” She says he’s never met a food he didn’t like!
Roxanne is the socialite of the two, fitting for her top dog role. Raider’s the home guy who lets Roxanne fill the paws of alpha dog in charge of their world. Both are talkers, typical of their breed, preferring a large vocabulary of “woo, woo, woo” sounds to barking.
“Roxanne will tell you when she wants you to pet her, pay attention, come to her. She summons you,” Michael says.
The state lottery web site says the Lucky Dog scratchers have sold $3.3 million and paid out $255,557, with about $54,300 remaining in prizes.
That’s a lot of fame and fortune for both dog and card-holders.
“Our lives have been enriched with these dogs,” Vickie says. “Our (human) families were grown and gone by the time Michael and I met, so we’re empty-nesters. These dogs are our babies.”
Lucky dogs, lucky people, winners all around.
