Who would have ever thought that there would be such a connection between a dog, sockeye salmon, and chicken fingers? In Louisiana that's the connection that helped fuel the fire and success of Raising Canes restaurants. The Louisiana based fast food chain announced through its Facebook page on Sunday, September 11th, that Raising Cane II had died at the age of 16 and 1/2 years old.

Cane II a certified therapy dog had been the company's mascot since the passing of the original Raising Cane I. It was his name, Raising Cane, that became iconic across the state when restaurant founder Todd Graves opened his first eatery just outside the gates of LSU in Baton Rouge.

The name of the restaurant was going to be "Sockeye's Chicken Fingers" after the Sockeye salmon I fished for in Alaska to raise money to start the restaurant. Luckily, a friend convinced me to name the first restaurant after my dog, 'Raising Cane.'

Graves comments were reported in a story published by NOLA.com. 

Graves said Raising Cane II came into their family as a Christmas gift.

My wife Gwen surprised me with a yellow lab puppy one Christmas and I fittingly named her Raising Cane II to continue the legacy of our namesake.

Graves seemed particularly proud of the fact that Raising Canes II was so much more than just a mascot. The yellow lab was also a certified therapy dog.

Over a seven-year timeframe, she spent several hundred hours visiting children and adults at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes throughout the country. She was truly a Cane’s Crewmember, and probably the cutest one at that.

 

That quote was part of an Instagram post that was placed on the Instagram account of Colby Ledet. 

 

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