Man Credits His Shih Tzu for Lottery Win: 'He's My Million Dollar Dog'
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.
‘Million dollar dog.’ Man says his shih tzu won him $1 million NC lottery prize https://t.co/742eUiMLLE
— The Charlotte Observer (@theobserver) July 24, 2019
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.
Convenience stores. Grocery stores. Restaurants. Even some hardware stores, fraternal organizations, and a bowling alley or two. You can find our games in over 7,000 stores in NC. Where do you like to buy your lottery tickets? #LotteryWeek #NCLottery ⭐ https://t.co/1qDDWE9nCN pic.twitter.com/eQDLXiTxNS
— NC Education Lottery (@nclottery) July 17, 2019
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.”
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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