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Former Shelter Dog Stars in Annie

Annie

Once a dog without a home, Marti’s “Hard Knock Life” has become a life in the spotlight thanks to the new big screen adaptation of Annie and a compassionate animal trainer who creates better “Tomorrow”s for dogs in need.

Starring as the lovable orphan’s four-legged friend Sandy, Marti’s road to movie fame began in May 2013 when she was spotted at a shelter in Armonk, New York by animal trainer Bill Berloni, who has taught every rescued Rover who has portrayed the popular pup in every major production of Annie since its start on Broadway in 1977.

Training for six weeks before the cameras rolled, Marti — thought to be a 6-year-old Golden Retriever/Chow mix — continued to hone her acting chops for the next three months as she shared the movie set with Academy Award nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.

Celebrating Annie by promoting the option of pet adoption, Sony has partnered with BarkBox. For every social post on Instagram using the hashtag #ImARescueToo and tagging @AnnieMovie, BarkBox will donate $1 to the ASPCA!

Annie is in theaters now!

Photo Credit: Sony Entertainment

This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.