This week the Studio said goodbye to one of its biggest personalities with the passing of Creative in Chief Molly Patton's companion of 16 years, Scarlett.
Scarlett has been synonymous with Patton’d Studios right from the beginning. From her trademark “this is a draft, right?” expression, to her insistence on a healthy work-life balance, Scarlett has been a key team member responsible for keeping us all grounded and reminding us of what’s truly important.
Whether in person or via Zoom, nearly everyone – both clients and creatives alike – had crossed paths with the spirited, (and sassy) Maltese Shih Tzu, who had a habit of redirecting conversations away from creative projects to more important matters such as pats and passing snacks under the meeting table.
Regular illustrator Maury Aaseng commented “I feel lucky to have gotten to have seen Molly and Scarlett together over a video chat. They really did look like two peas in a very happy pod.”
In a personal LinkedIn post, Molly opened up about Scarlett’s final weeks, revealing she had fallen ill after eating meat that had been contaminated with a deadly toxin called indospicine and had been in a fight for her life for almost a month before finally succumbing to organ failure in the early hours of Monday morning.
This should never have happened
In a heartfelt interview published by ABC News, Molly described just how much she and the broader Studio community will miss having Scarlett’s spirited personality and impeccable comic timing in meetings and throughout the Studio’s communications.
In the interview, Molly also sheds light on the spate of negligence that allowed this tragedy to occur and the absence of government regulations that leave more dogs (and indeed all pets) vulnerable to another deadly mistake in the future.
Thriving off the attention
Molly has been inundated with support from friends of the Studio, which has kept its proverbial doors open and projects running through the entire month-long ordeal.
“From the tributes and spiritual ceremonies performed in her memory to the bouquets of flowers (red of course!) that have filled our home with messages of support and love for a soul whose personality lit up the room. Scarlett would have thrived off the attention, (and expected nothing less),” she said in a follow up post on Thursday.
“I am beyond heartbroken, but the best legacy we can give Scarlett is to (in true Scarlett fashion), make as much noise as possible and ensure she is the last victim in this horrific saga.”
– Molly Patton, Founder and Creative in Chief
Taking it further
Currently, there are no laws governing pet food safety in Australia, only voluntary standards. Australian consumer advocacy group CHOICE has written an open letter to the Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud, calling for the introduction of mandatory industry standards for pet food in Australia.
We welcome our Australian friends to take a minute out of their day, to add their voice and help prevent this from ever happening again.
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