If Duke thought Lulu was going to be a pushover, easily impressed by his celebrity status, he was quickly disabused of that notion on their first and likely only date Sept. 5.
ERIC SUCAR Hal Eisen (l), his wife, Peggy, and their dog, Lulu, welcomed Jay Bush of Bush’s Beans to their Manalapan home on Sept. 5. Bush gave a barbecue in Lulu’s honor after the Eisens described in an essay how Lulu had alerted them to a house fire. That was the day Bush’s Baked Beans mogul Jay Bush and his commercial companion, Duke the golden retriever, attended a barbecue at the Becket Road, Manalapan, home of Peggy and Hal Eisen.
Bush, Duke and other company representatives were at the barbecue as part of a contest the Eisens won that had everything to do with their loyal and lifesaving companion, their 9-year-old Lhasa apso named Lulu.
The barbecue was provided by Bush’s Baked Beans.
In March, Lulu’s barking alerted the Eisens to a fire that had broken out in the home they have lived in for 34 years in the Holiday Park development off Pine Brook Road. Their lives and Lulu’s were likely saved due to her barking.
Fire officials later determined that the March 6 blaze had been caused by a flame that shot out from the furnace when the furnace backfired. The flame ignited a pile of folded clothing that was on the dryer directly in front of the furnace.
The Eisens’ recounting of the story helped them win an essay contest in which Bush’s Baked Beans asked dog owners to send in stories about their canines.
Hal Eisen said the barbecue served as an occasion for him and his wife to reach out and thank all of the neighbors who helped them after the fire. The assistance included one neighbor who let the Eisens stay in his home while he left town on business on the morning of the fire, to people who offered clothing and other essentials that were lost in the fire.
“What a great way to say thank you to everybody and the best thing about it was he (Jay Bush) paid for it,” Eisen said.
Eisen merrily recounted for a reporter that although he and Lulu’s mom, Peggy, had high hopes for Lulu’s celebrity date, Lulu let them all know, especially Duke, that there was only room for one pampered pet in this household and she was it.
Eisen said Lulu barked her initial and immediate dissatisfaction at Duke’s presence upon his introduction into her domain and another attempt at a hook-up between the two was dashed later in the party when Lulu again rebuffed Duke with extreme prejudice.
All was not lost for the celebrity duo, however, as Jay Bush and Duke mixed happily with the party-goers who seemed thrilled by the two and their presence at the barbecue bash they had thrown on behalf of the Eisens.
Bush said he had looked forward to the event and had not been disappointed, Duke and Lulu’s failure to make an accord notwithstanding.
The Eisens received a $7,500 corporate donation from Bush’s Baked Beans and they have donated that money to Manalapan for the purposes of developing a dog park in the community.
Recreation advisory board member Rebecca Ginsberg said the township, which earmarked an additional $2,500 toward the future construction of a dog park, is seeking donations and volunteers to help advance the project which is tentatively planned for the Village Green property on Route 522 near the Tennent Road intersection.
Ginsberg said anyone who is interested in getting involved may call the recreation department at (732) 446-3200.