Abbey and Laverne hit the big time

When Sports Illustrated did their swimsuit shoot in Franklin County last year, they spotted a couple of local blondes with real modeling potential. ]

The sisters made the cut and will be appeared in February’s big seaside blowout issue.

Russ and Kay Boyd of Apalachicola say their two girls, Abbey and Laverne are the light of their life, a pair of Labrador and golden retriever mixes.

Abbey, the baby at 18 months old, was acquired from a private breeder in Georgia as a puppy. Laverne, the senior sister, is a 5-year old rescue found online in South Florida eight months ago, and adopted.

Russ said she fit into the family beautifully from the start. Although Laverne is older and rules the roost, Russ said Abbey has been with the family longer and taught her sister to ride in the Boyd’s’ golf cart. The dogs love to ride in the golf cart and make at least one trip downtown daily.

That’s how these local beauties were spotted by scouts from Sports Illustrated. Russ said he was first contacted by Chamber Director Anita Grove who put him in touch with Sports Illustrated staff.

He said the models and photographers had a wonderful rapport with his Abbey and Laverne, who he said were not paid for their services and posed in the nude.

Russ was a Northwest Airlines pilot and Kay a senior property manager before the pair retired and moved here in 2004. They have fostered several other dogs in recent years. – By Lois Swoboda