New York Woman Finds Her Lost Dachshund — in Hilary Swank’s Lap Andy Corbley

Andy Corbley

Losing a dog is distressing, losing a 15-year-old dog is worse—and losing a 15-year-old dachshund is a grim situation indeed.

Luckily for distraught owner Chelsea Blackwell, her dog had made its way into the arms of a person who could help.

Blackwell lost Blue the dachshund in her home town of Albany last Monday, prompting her to drive around looking and asking passersby if they had seen the dog. Then, nearing the Greyhound bus stop, she noticed something out of the ordinary.

“I noticed there were like eight police cars and people with cameras—I thought maybe somebody got shot,” Blackwell told an Albany paper. “I asked them if anyone saw a little brown dog.”

What happened next is that a member of the crowd replied, “yes, we’ll call her,” sparking curiosity in Blackwell. Inquiring as to the “her,” the person said that a celebrity had found her dog, and the next thing she knew, a car had pulled up and out came Million Dollar Baby star Hillary Swank, with Blue cradled in her arms.

Chelsea Blackwell, Blue and Hillary Swank

“I was like, ‘No way,’” Blackwell said. “As soon as she got out of the car, I kissed Blue and said, ‘Thank you so much.’”

The two-time Oscar winner offered to take a photograph with Blackwell, who said that Swank was not going to “blow her own horn” about the good deed.

Swank has a history of animal advocacy, including co-founding the Hilaroo Foundation, which helps connect at-risk teens with shelter dogs in order to foster a healing connection.

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