Saline has enjoyed its share of glory stemming from talented poets, writers, performers, lawyers and judges who hail from the community. There have been prehistoric bones and courtroom decisions that have drawn attention to Saline, but nothing quite like a canine named Charlie.
   
The dog has appeared on several Detroit TV stations, CNN, and has been featured on three Ann Arbor, two Canadian, one Kentucky and one California radio station. Paul Harvey also highlighted Saline's friendly pooch on a recent broadcast.
   
On May 10, a camera crew from "Inside Edition" will film Charlie at his work place-Harry's Marathon, at the corner of East Michigan Avenue and Davenport.
   
Even David Letterman is considering having the 6-year-old Golden Retriever, who collects gas money from customers, on his show and filming of Charlie for a new program "Amazing Tails," will be televised this fall.
   
But Charlie has not let the attention go to his head, although a portion has gone to his belly. "The only thing that's changed is he only gets one treat now," says Harry Parsons, owner of the station.
   
Since Charlie's reward for his labor is a dog biscuit each time he collects a patron's money, Parsons also is consulting the vet for the healthiest brand to offer the faithful canine, who truly has put Saline on the map.
   
National and international newspapers have picked up on Charlie's story since The Saline Reporter covered the theft of Charlie's retirement fund last year.
   
"Nothing would surprise me anymore," claims Parsons, who has experienced a substantial increase in business "thanks" to the pilferage turned blessing.
   
But don't think for a minute that Parsons and his son Rick, Charlie's owner, are the only ones benefiting from the notoriety. As Parsons so aptly points out, Charlie's story has universal appeal. Letters and personal visits to Charlie prove that people welcome good news.
   
Maria Lochrenberg of the Republic of South Africa was so thankful to have caught some footage of Charlie at his "job" that she sent off a Rand coin to be taped to Charlie's new retirement fund for "good luck."
   
Lochrenberg, who says her three dogs are "spoilt" and "could not apply for any kind of job," wrote that around Easter the holiday traffic toll in her country is so depressing that the "short video and lovely shots" of Charlie's story were particularly encouraging to her.    

Lochrenberg and her husband were so uplifted by the canine interest story that she jotted off a letter having only the sketchiest information. The envelope reads:
  
Charlie and Harry have had the letter framed and it is proudly on display at his workplace. Locally, Charlie continues to brighten days of customers. As patron Barb Alderink observes, "How can you have a bad day after you pay a dog for your gas?"

   
Some low-life rats stole the kitty from Charlie, the celebrity canine cashier at Harry's Service in downtown Saline. Burglars broke into the Marathon station over the holidays and raided a jar full of tips set aside for the 7-year-old Golden Retriever -- a sort of 401K-9 plan, if you will.
   
"Probably some kids," said station manager Rick Parsons, Charlie's owner. "They got $80 to $100. Nothing else was taken."
   
But Charlie isn't pouting. A financial planner in town is working on a new retirement setup for the pooch known around the world for his knack to retrieve money. Charlie gained international fame for clenching customers' cash and credit cards in his mouth and heading straight for the cash register. Each time, he gets a doggie treat for doing his job.
   
Charlie "trained himself to fetch the money," Rick said. One day he just started doing it and the rest is history.
   
Customers delight in tipping Charlie, and their children delight in asking for a Charlie paw print, which is usually stamped on their wrist. A paw print appears on credit card receipts, too.
   
Everyone has been wild about Charlie since CNN featured a segment on the gentle gold's routine a year ago. Newspapers in Europe ran photos. A woman in Johannesburg, South Africa, saw the TV segment and sent Charlie a tip for a shtick well done.
   
Another customer told Rick that her daughter, in her first day on the job in Japan, mentioned she was from Saline. A fellow staffer's response: "Do you know Charlie?"
   
Rick said Charlie earns about $20 a week in tips and eats about five to seven pounds of treats a week. Rick's father, Harry, who has operated the station since 1959, realizes Charlie is a public relations windfall. "When someone gives you a $20 bill for their gas, they're generally pleasant," Harry said. "But when they give it to Charlie, they're downright happy."

An outpouring of support has added about $250 to Charlie's 401K-9 fund

Charlie's kitty is healthy again. Following newspaper and television reports that $100 was stolen from Charlie's "tip jar in December, cash and checks began rolling in from across the nation, earmarked for the Golden Retriever's retirement account.
   
Charlie's owner calls it his "401K-9 fund. The dog works for his pension (and bones) at Harry's Marathon station in Saline. He clenches customers' money and credit cards in his mouth and heads for the cash register. Sometimes, he gets tips.
   
Once word of the Christmastime burglary got out, sympathetic Charlie fans in Metro Detroit and across the country sent cards, letters, checks and money. In addition to newspaper and TV coverage, the BBC interviewed Charlie's owner, station manager Rick Parsons, and broadcast the dog's plight on the military network in Europe.
   
"People have been generous, Parsons said. "WJR sent a check for $110, a group of workers at Chrysler's Trenton engine plant sent $60 and the employees and patrons of Roses' Family Dining in St. Clair Shores sent $45. I got a check for $25 from a Warren woman the other day.
   
"People would walk into the station and put $20 and $1 bills in the tip jar. It's been unbelievable. Altogether, about $250 has come in.
   
The owner of Asbury, a Golden Retriever in the Chicago area, said: "I'm sorry about what happened. There are some strange people out there. It's a doggone shame.
   
And the Hovet family in Eugene, Ore., wrote: "We're sorry to hear of your loss. Here's a little something to rebuild your tip fund. We'll stop by the next time we go through Saline.