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Lifestyle & Human Interest

Man Credits His Shih Tzu for Lottery Win: 'He's My Million Dollar Dog'

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Who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery? It’s a question we’ve all no doubt asked ourselves. What would we do with a million dollars?

Buy a house? A car? Finally go on that dream vacation?

Maybe we imagine putting our kids through college loan-free or paying off debts that have been weighing us down.

One man from Henderson, North Carolina, scored the ultimate prize after he purchased a $10 Red Hot Million$ scratch-off ticket.

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Moises Duarte’s story begins like any other “It Could Happen to You” type tale. He purchased the ticket at a local Buy Quick Food Mart.

Of course, when he saw he’d won, the man couldn’t believe it. We can all probably imagine how he felt in that moment — excited, relieved, shocked.

Duarte said his decision to drop by that particular food mart was out of the ordinary as wasn’t a normal stop for him. In fact, this man claims there is another to thank for his huge blessing.

“He’s my million dollar dog,” Duarte told North Carolina Education Lottery. “I never would have stopped for a lottery ticket if it wasn’t for him.”

Duarte is referring to his shih tzu. He shared with North Carolina Education Lottery that he’d dropped the dog off at his sister’s house in Durham before he stopped by the convenience store.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw what I won,” Duarte explained in his interview. “I kept looking at it and looking at it.”

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He officially claimed his million-dollar winnings at the lottery headquarters in Raleigh on July 22. Duarte opted to take a lump sum of $600,000 over 20 payments of $50,000 per year.

After taxes, his earnings worked out to $424,503 — not quite $1 million, but enough to get him a purple Chevy truck and a home for him and his beloved dog.

According to their website, the North Carolina Education Lottery strives to “be an industry leader in funding education initiatives, by enriching lives through entertainment and innovation, while practicing sound governance.”

Have you ever purchased a lottery ticket in your state? The odds may seem unlikely, but you never know if you could be the next winner — or if your dog could help you achieve that dream.

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.
Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.
Education
Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith




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