'Sweet' visit! Dog that inspired Hollywood film stops by local resident's workplace for a visit

Mt. Sterling's Dairy Queen had a very special visitor today!

Local resident Ellie Bowlin, a 2026 Montgomery County High School graduate and DQ employee, was paid  a visit by a dog who has risen from statewide fame to now inspiring a major Hollywood production.

Ethan stopped by the local restaurant with his owner, Jeff Callaway. Ellie is a budding actress and has the role of Irene, a vet tech, in the "Ethan Almighty-Ethan's Law" film.

Ellie joins some big stars such as Kelsey Grammer, Sean Patrick Flannery, Selma Blair and Trevor Donovan in the movie!

Ethan beat nearly impossibly odds and recovered after being dumped at the Kentucky Humane Society parking lot in an absolutely terrible condition in 2021.  He was later dubbed "Ethan Almightly," after his miraculous recovery, 

Weighing in at just 38 pounds upon discovery, the KHS said Ethan should have tipped the scales between 80-90 pounds.

Ethan defied odds and was fostered and later adopted by Jeff Callaway. The pair inspired Ethan's Law, an animal anti-cruelty bill.

The movie is filmed in Kentucky, at various locations, including Louisville and Bardstown.

Enjoy this video of both Ellie and Ethan's owner, Jeff, chatting with the Advocate. 

Don't miss next week's Advocate for a complete story—which includes additional commentary from Ellie, Jeff, DQ owner Greg Waters and Bowlin's mother, Kristi!