Sheriff's 'In Dog We Trust' rug being auctioned for charity

CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The Florida sheriff whose rug was found to contain the typo, "In Dog We Trust," is auctioning the rug to benefit a dog rescue charity.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the $500 rug bears the "dog" typo in the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office's emblem and sat in the office's new administration building until the mistake was discovered Tuesday.

Gualtieri said he has received inquiries about buying the rug from as far away as Europe and South America, leading to his decision to sell the item.

The sheriff announced Thursday the rug will be sold in an online auction to benefit Canine Estates, a Palm Harbor nonprofit taking care of abandoned and injured dogs.

"Whoever the high bidder is will get this rug that is definitely one of a kind," Gualtieri said. "I can tell you that there has never been and there will never be a rug like that again."

Jayne Sidwell, one of the three sisters who run Canine Estates, said the nonprofit is grateful for the sheriff's support.

"We're so excited. We feel so honored and we're speechless. We're absolutely speechless that we got chosen," she told the Tampa Bay Times. "We're working so hard to place as many dogs as we can. We're humbled and we're very grateful."

Bids on the rug topped $2,500 Friday at onlineauction.com. The auction ends Wednesday, Jan. 21.