Who is Lynn Johnston

Lynn Johnston, artist and cartoonist, is a Canadian icon. She has touched the world with her syndicated comic strip, For Better or For Worse® and the family of characters who reside in the strip, The Pattersons. Appearing in over 2,000 newspapers worldwide, the characters and the situations they find themselves in resonate with the people who follow the strip for its true to life, yet completely entertaining values.

In 2001, Lynn Johnston benevolently loaned one of her most beloved characters, Farley the English Sheep dog, to the Farley Foundation – a charitable organization that assists disabled persons and seniors on limited incomes with the necessary medical care of their pets. The name of the Foundation pays homage to Farley, who died in the strip while trying to save April Patterson when she fell into a ravine.

Farley’s death reverberated around the world… readers mourned as they would mourn the death of a close friend or more aptly, their own pets. 

With a huge following in over 20 countries around the world, Farley and his creator, Lynn Johnston draw awareness of, and donations to the Farley Foundation making it possible for (to date) more than 2,700 disabled persons and seniors to continue the relationship with the pets that mean the world to them.

The Farley Foundation gets calls on a daily basis from pet owners who are completely distressed because their companions (that is, their pets) are severely ill – in some cases dying and in need of urgent care – but they cannot afford to take their pets to a veterinarian. The Farley Foundation helps those who fall into pre-established criteria. We hope to be able to expand the criteria and help more people and pets – perhaps eventually on a national basis.

The human-animal bond is a strong phenomenon. Lynn Johnston’s work with the Farley Foundation (e.g., donating valuable imagery, money, time, resources, and public and personal support) will continue to touch people and pets for years to come.

To learn more about Lynn Johnston and For Better or For Worse®, visit the official web site for the comic strip at www.fborfw.com.

 

A Message from Lynn Johnston