[GALLERY + VIDEOS]: A tribute to Oscar the ‘Dulux celebrity dog’

“I knew it was his time though and I feel very grateful that I had all the years I did with him. He was a real pal.”

January 17, 2019

Julie Maule 2 minutes read

OSCAR, who rose to fame with the Dulux adverts, died on December 24, 2018, after his health was failing.

The CHRONICLE spoke to his owner Sue Green, Glenvista resident, about his lifetime of fame.

“Oscar was born in Belgium, Europe and he was 10 weeks old when he arrived in South Africa. I already had two other Old English Sheepdogs, Yogi and Jazmine, and the three of them got along so well,” said Sue.

BABY FACE: Oscar when he arrived at his home in Glenvista.

Oscar appeared in quite a few Dulux adverts, his first one being the Let’s Colour advert. He also appeared in an advert for Dulux UK which aired on UK TV. It was filmed on the top of the Rand Club in Johannesburg, with Jazmine standing by in case she was needed. Another TV commercial for Dulux South Africa was with Thandi and Vusi for the Dulux Visualiser App and the one currently flighted on TV where he puts his paw on the tin.

WATCH:

https://www.facebook.com/JOYDogs/videos/889160817774034/

“He’s appeared on Top Billing, and Woef where he co-presented the show,” laughed Sue. The last picture advert he appeared in was Win A Car.

Local radio stations enjoyed having him in the studio and he was asked to perform his famous counting barking tricks.

Often seen in magazines, he appeared in Caxton’s Get It Joburg South magazine a few years ago and also in many others.

A walkabout

Locally, residents have often seen him with his sisters, Yola and Jazmine, in shopping centres. Mall of the South Shopping Centre was a firm favourite with the dogs and every Friday from 10am to 12pm they would walk through the centre with Sue, delighting shoppers.

“I can’t begin to tell you how many photos they have had taken with shoppers in the centre.”

Their “shopping” trip usually ended up with them sharing an ice cream!

Oscar was instrumental in the first visits to schools and old age homes with his sisters and collectively they took the name, JOY Dogs (Jazmine, Oscar and Yogi). After Yogi died three years ago, Sue imported Yola from Hungary.

Sue said all the dogs enjoy a diet of Eukanuba which she is pleased to say is sponsored by the company.

“They each have one big mug of the food twice a day and lots of water. For treats they love a piece of biltong. This is soon gobbled up and they sit very nicely hoping for more,” she said.

As Oscar’s health was failing, Sue bought another Old English Sheepdog at a great cost from Siberia in Russia and named him Orion.

“I knew Oscar was beginning to suffer and after a visit to our awesome vet, Dave Erasmus in Kibler Park, he advised it would be kinder to have Oscar put down, and it was with a very heavy heart I sat with Oscar as he was peacefully put to sleep,” Sue added. “I knew it was his time though and I feel very grateful that I had all the years I did with him. He was a real pal.”

WATCH:

If you are out and about in the South, especially Mall of the South on a Friday morning, you’ll be very likely to see Jazmine, Orion and Yola with Sue, and so the threesome carries on!