I’ve met my fair share of local celebrities—local canine celebrities, that is. First there was Jackson, the five-time Adirondack 46er I hiked Mount Marcy with and wrote about
in saratoga living’s “The Best Of Everything” issue. Then there was Bluff, who frequents the amazing @saratogadogwalkers Instagram account, and was featured with his owner, Tim Pink—the Saratoga Dog Walker—in our “20th Anniversary” Issue. Now I have another prominent pup to add to my list: Lucky Charms, the star of the recently published children’s book Lucky’s Adventure In Saratoga.
Lucky is a tiny, timid, three-year-old Yorkie-Affenpinscher mix, who, when I met her, was wearing a black-and-pink tutu with the title of her new book on it. The book, written by Lucky’s owner, Elizabeth Macy, a Saratoga native, and illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky, a Malta resident, is a fictional tale based on the true story of Lucky getting lost in November 2016. Of course, Macy has no way of knowing what exactly Lucky did while away from home for four days, but her book offers a guess, fantastical though it may sound. In the book, which was published by Saratoga Springs Publishing, Lucky breaks out of her collar and goes on a journey around town, meeting new animal friends and stopping at iconic Saratoga landmarks, such as the Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Race Course and Saratoga Lake.
Though what happens in the book and the true story on which it’s based may differ (Lucky didn’t really get picked up by her animal friends in the Saratoga Visitors Trolley and brought home), “The book has the same sense of community as the real story,” Macy says. “Friends, neighbors and strangers were looking for Lucky. There were Facebook posts and shares, and people were out walking and driving around looking for her. And in the book, her doggie friends are looking for her.” Indeed, one of the most adorable pages of the book shows a slew of neighborhood pups holding “Lost Dog” signs in their mouths.
Lucky’s Adventure In Saratoga can be purchased locally at Impressions of Saratoga (another stop on Lucky’s journey) and Northshire Bookstore, among other places, and a percentage of the book’s sales is being donated to local animal shelters. “Lucky’s a rescue dog, so it’s important for us to give back to the rescues,” Macy says. Lucky hasn’t gone on tour around Saratoga since the first time—“She likes to stay by her momma,” Macy says—but another fictional adventure may be in the works. As the unofficial No.1 fan of the dogs of Saratoga, I’d sure like to tag along.
