‘Rest in peace, Betty’: Barefoot Investor Scott Pape mourns the death of his beloved sheep dog and shares the valuable life lessons we can all learn from her story
- Scott Pape wrote The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need
- That publishing phenomenon has gone on to sell more than 1.6million copies
- Pape’s old sheep dog Betty, who featured on the book’s cover, died last week
- Pape says his children can learn lessons about life from their ‘legendary’ Betty
Personal finance guru Scott Pape is mourning the death of his beloved sheep dog Betty who appeared on the cover of his best-selling Barefoot Investor books.
Pape described hard-working Betty as a ‘legend’ in his family and said in years to come he would use her story to teach his three children about life.
Betty and Pape graced the cover of The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need, which has sold more than 1.6million copies.
She also appeared on the cover of the television presenter and radio commentator’s follow-up book, The Barefoot Investor for Families.
Personal finance guru Scott Pape is mourning the death of his beloved sheep dog Betty who appeared on the cover of his best-selling Barefoot Investor books. Pape described Betty as a ‘legend’ and said in years to come he would use her story to teach his children about life
Betty and Pape graced the cover of The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need, which has sold more than 1.6million copies. She also appeared on the cover of the television presenter and radio commentator’s follow-up book, Barefoot Investor for Families
Pape told readers of his weekend newspaper column that Betty had died last week.
The dog had originally come from Victoria’s Mallee region, in the state’s north-west, and had been passed from owner to owner.
‘Betty was kindly given to me years ago by my uncle, who told me she was the hardest-working dog he’d ever had,’ Pape wrote.
When Betty arrived at his farm in the Macedon Ranges about 70km north of Melbourne, Pape was not sure what to make of the dog.
‘The first night we brought her home, I put her food in a shiny new doggie bowl,’ he wrote.
‘Betty cocked her head and wouldn’t eat.’
Pape’s animal-loving wife Liz told told him: ‘Maybe she’s feeling insecure about her new environment, and she’s off her food.’
But his uncle knew what was wrong and suggested Pape tip the food out of the bowl onto the ground. Betty immediately wolfed it all down.
Similarly, Pape said Betty ignored her newly-bought kennel complete with an expensive sheepskin for warmth, and chose to sleep on the dirt under the family’s ute – ‘so she doesn’t miss one minute of work’.
Pape wrote that Betty was unstoppable on the farm.
‘Betty is a legend in our family. And years from now we’ll use her story to teach our kids about life.’
Pape wrote that his children may think they want cool clothes, an Apple watch or a fancy car when they grow up.
Marketers manipulated desires to buy such goods but ‘it’s a trillion dollar lie,’ he said.
What people really wanted was to be loved and respected, just like Betty, Pape wrote.
‘If you want to be loved and respected, just do two things: be kind and be a hard worker.
‘Betty died this week. For a sheep dog (age unknown), who was passed around from owner to owner, Betty finally found her home.
‘Rest In Peace Betty. You were loved and respected.’
‘Betty died this week. For a sheep dog (age unknown), who was passed around from owner to owner, Betty finally found her home. Rest In Peace Betty. You were loved and respected’