Burton the Yorkshire Terrier has been in a casino, crowded elevators, stores and fitting rooms, bathrooms, and airports. But this week, Burton will survive a tornado, travel to Oz, and help Dorothy Gale get back to Kansas when he takes center stage as “Toto,” Dorothy’s beloved dog in the Sun City Theatre Company’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Burton is a 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. Among primarily being a service dog, he’s about to make his acting debut in Sun City Theatre Group’s The Wizard of Oz as, you guessed it, Toto. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
The ten year-old Yorkshire terrier beat out two other dogs for the highly sought-after part of Dorothy’s canine companion and the tiny target of Miss Gulch-turned-Wicked Witch of the West.
But Burton’s brush with fame is merely a side job; his main job is being a real-life companion to Sun City resident Ray Dempsey and his wife, Pat. Burton is a Canine Good Citizen, certified through the American Kennel Club, and he has gone through training to be a therapy dog through Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy in Morton Grove. Ray, a veteran, sustained a spinal cord injury in the Vietnam War, and uses both crutches and a wheelchair. Burton is a loyal sidekick, often riding proudly on Ray’s lap (he enjoys looking especially dapper with his red bow-tie, worn on patriotic holidays and other special occasions) or helping Ray retrieve things that are just out of reach.
In the midst of therapy training, Pat says Burton was exposed to all kinds of experiences and environments — which is why she knew he wouldn’t be rattled by the sound of a cackling witch, sound effects, or the rustle of costumes that are all part of a musical production.
Ray Dempsey sustained a spinal-cord injury in Vietnam. As a service dog, Burton plays an integral role in Ray’s daily life. (Photo provided)
“Part of Burton’s charm is that he’s a very laid-back little dog,” says Pat.
In rehearsals, Pat says she stays back in the wings or out in the audience while Burton does his thing. As far as preparation for the role, Pat says that Sara Tustin (Dorothy) came over to the house for some extra interaction with her four-legged co-star.
“She came over, held him, did some cuddling, and she sang ‘Over the Rainbow,’” said Pat, adding that she and her husband practice saying, “Come, Toto!” and interject “Toto” a lot during the day so it’s not an unfamiliar name for him.
At a recent rehearsal, Pat was sitting out in the audience while Burton was on stage.
“[Dorothy] is holding on to him saying, ‘Oh Toto, where’s Uncle Henry and Auntie Em?’ I swear, he was on stage and it was like he was smiling at the audience. He just has this nice calm look about him. He doesn’t wiggle and fidget,” she said.
Being born for the stage has its perks: Pat recalls one day that Burton was on the schedule for rehearsal. But before it was time, she received word from the director: “Burton’s scene is going smoothly. Burton has the day off.”
“He didn’t have to go in the night they did costumes, either,” Pat said with a smile. “He’s all dressed!”
But Pat feels confident that the life of a star won’t go to Burton’s head. After the show closes after the weekend’s performances, Burton will go back to being a special friend to Ray. He’ll go back to his regular visits to see the residents at Friendship Village in Schaumburg.
“He’s just so good with the residents,” says Pat. “It’s getting to the point where I can say, ‘Burton, go say hello,’ and he’ll walk over to the person and let them pet him and he’ll sit on anybody’s lap.”
Pat says he seems to know who needs a little special attention or love.
“Sometimes I’m just taken aback with how sensitive he is,” said Pat. “It does my heart good when I see the eyes twinkle when he goes over to greet people.”
