Shadow, a mongrel dog saved from death in a Florida animal shelter, will soon be an international movie star.
The female black mutt became known when a film clip of her scuba diving ran on a Florida television news show.The sight of a dog with a diving helmet on her head, breathing compressed air and walking on the bottom of the ocean, was as startling as the first photos of a man on the moon.
The dog became an instant celebrity with regular appearances on U.S. national television.
And that's when Hollywood came calling.
From Malibu, Calif., executive motion picture producer Tony Romano announced: "Negotiations are under way with a major motion picture studio to make a $22 million film starring this wonder dog. She will become an inspiration throughout the world and the new Lassie of the '90s.
"The script now being prepared will make people laugh and cry. It will be an adventure thriller and include the remarkable true events that led to her survival."
Just one year ago, the 3-year-old mostly Labrador mixed breed was scheduled to be put to sleep at the Palm Beach Florida Animal Shelter with five other "unadoptable" strays.
But when the veterinarian who was to give lethal injections arrived two hours late, Shadow was adopted by Boynton Beach, Fla., sportsman/inventor Dwane Folsom and sentenced to a life of fun.
"When I first saw her she was hiding in the darkness at the back of her cage and so I named her Shadow," he says.
The wealthy air-conditioning company owner took the dog home to his house on the edge of a Florida lake and quickly decided she was a dog genius.
"Shadow watched intently everything we did. One day I was putting paper trash in a garbage can and Shadow picked up an envelope, ran over to the can, and dropped it in.
"Then one day I was diving in the lake and my wife and Shadow were in the boat above. Suddenly Shadow, who had been watching my air bubbles, jumped into the water and tried over and over to swim down to me.
"My wife suggested I build her a diving system."
It took almost a year of work for Dwane, 55, to build the special underwater helmet and air pressure regulator that allows Shadow to swim down among the fish breathing in air from Dwane's air supply. The dog stays down using an 18-pound special weight.
Folsom, who has received dozens of requests for additional dog scuba gear, says Shadow likes cooling off underwater. "We sometimes stay down as long as 25 minutes."
But Shadow wasn't satisfied with just one fun sport.
"She got excited when she saw us water skiing so we built her a special tow board that she loves to ride every day. And whenever I go out on my motorcycle she insists on jumping on behind me. My wife made her a special hat and goggles and we have long daily rides."
Folsom is a longtime sky diver with 55 jumps to his credit.
"I'm now making a special harness so Shadow can jump tandem with me. She'll soon become the world's first sky diving dog."
Trainers say Shadow is remarkable because she wants to show off her intelligence. The dog will do almost anything as a matter of pride. There are no treat payments involved.
Most impressive is Shadow's amazing trust in her master that keeps her from struggling in the strange unnatural underwater environment. "Shadow would gladly run with me into a wall of fire," says her proud owner.
Dwane, Shadow and Dwane's wife, Violet, spend half the time at their vacation home in the Cayman Islands, where the dog loves to swim among giant sting rays. "My biggest fear is that a large fish may try to take a bite out of the dog. They've never seen anything like her on the ocean floor."
Folsom says he hopes people will be impressed with the brilliance of his dog pound pet and maybe "some dogs destined to be put to sleep will, instead, be taken home to be loved."