Local dog, Tillie, honored with Washingtonian of the Day award

Published 11:22 am Thursday, October 15, 2015

ANNELI FOGT

Editor

The governor’s office announced Thursday that Tillie, an island dog who made international headlines last month after standing watch over her trapped friend for a week, was awarded a Washingtonian of the Day award for her bravery and loyalty.

Tillie, her basset hound friend Phoebe and the dogs’ owner, islander B.J. Duft met with Governor Jay Inslee Thursday morning to receive the award.

Duft said that Inslee proclaimed Tillie Washingtonian of the Day Thursday morning in Olympia, and presented her with a small, apple-shaped pin that was hung around her neck.

Duft said on Thursday that the attention his dogs have received has been “a bit overwhelming,” but that he and his pooches are “taking it all in stride.”

“There was 20 different press there this morning. The dogs are loving it because they just have to look all cute and be puppies, I’m the one that has to do all the interviews,” he said with a laugh.

The two dogs wandered from Duft’s home on Vashon Sept. 8. Phoebe fell into an old cistern near Duft’s property and became stuck. Tillie, a setter-mix, stayed by Phoebe’s side for a week, leaving only briefly each day to try and find help. Tillie would run out of the woods and try to guide someone back to where Phoebe was stranded.

The dogs were found on Sept. 14 by the Vashon Island Pet Protectors. The original Facebook post on VIPP’s page reports that they were hungry and cold, but safe.

A media circus surrounded the dogs for days, with news outlets as far as China and the United Kingdom picking the story up.