Profitable walk: North Carolina woman walking dog wins $599,133 jackpot

A North Carolina woman walked into a big jackpot last month, and she can thank her dog.

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Penny Lamb, of Greensboro, bought six Cash 5 tickets online while walking her pet, Denali, and won $599,133, the NC Education Lottery said in a news release on Friday.

Lamb was walking her dog on Dec. 20 when she remembered she had not bought any tickets. She used Online Play from the lottery app on her phone to purchase the tickets before the deadline, lottery officials said.

The next day during her morning routine, she received an email from lottery officials.

“I noticed the email was different,” Lamb said in a statement. “It said, ‘Claim your prize.’ I was so nervous!”

Lamb called her boyfriend and waited for him to get home. Then she saw the winning amount.

“I saw how much I won,” Lamb said in a statement. “I was in tears.”

Lamb went to lottery headquarters on Friday to collect her prize. After state and federal taxes were deducted, Lamb walked away with $425,445. She told lottery officials that she plans to use her new windfall to help family and friends donate to pet shelters and pad her savings account.

“It took a few days to sink in,” Lamb said. “It’s giving us a head start going into the new year.”

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