It’s too early for an April Fools’ Day joke, and the mistake was overlooked by many in the sheriff’s office in Pinellas County, Florida.
Woven into the rug in Sheriff Bob Gualtieri’s office was “in dog we trust,” instead of “in God we trust.”
It took two months for someone to catch the mistake on the rug, which cost $500. A spokeswoman in the Sheriff’s office said the error was made by the rug’s manufacturer. A replacement rug is on its way to the lobby of the new $81 million public safety complex.
When word got out about the error, a number of dog people asked to purchase the rug. Someone offered upwards of $1,000. Sheriff Bualtieri says that the rug will be auctioned off for charity. He tells the Tampa Bay Times, “Whoever the high bidder is will get this rug that is definitely one of a kind. I can tell you that there has never been and there will never be a rug like that again.”
The monies will go to Canine Estates, a nonprofit formed by three sisters taking care of injured and abandoned dogs in a 4,000-square-foot home in Palm Harbor. Last year the organizers at Canine Estates found homes for 186 dogs. They are currently housing 40 dogs.
“We’re so excited,” says Jayne Sidwell, one of the sisters. “We feel so honored and we’re speechless. We’re absolutely speechless that we got chosen. We’re working so hard to place as many dogs as we can. We’re humbled and we’re very grateful.”
The auction is going on now, and will end at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21. The current bid is more than $6,000. Read how to place your bid.
Sources: Tampa Bay Times, BBC, NBC 6 Florida, ABC News
