Man sends flowers to dog instead of wife

Lily Cardone dreams of becoming a Hollywood star.

It's what has twice brought the 18-year-old from Palm City to the Tampa Bay area for roles in locally made films.

She knew it would take time to earn celebrity status.

But she never thought her dog would achieve it first.

"This is unbelievable," Lily said. "It's crazy and funny."

Here's how it happened:

Her father Vincent Cardone - off working in the Middle East - sent flowers to his house on Wednesday.

His wife Debbie Cardone excitedly believed they were for her, only to discover that the card read, "Sebastian, feel better. You'll be back in the game soon. Love, Daddy."

Sebastian is their 10-year-old English bulldog recovering from knee surgery.

Debbie thought it was funny enough to write about on Facebook, "So flowers were delivered today. I thought 'oh isn't that nice!'...then I read the card."

Her daughter then tweeted about it. Friends retweeted. Strangers thought it was cute and did the same. By evening, the story was trending. Come morning, news outlets around the nation were talking about the flowers, including Today and Good Morning America.

Daughter Lily - now a freshman at the University of Florida - is a known talent among Tampa area movie producers.

At 11 she was cast in the independent horror flick "As Night Falls." That was her first feature-length movie.

Five years later she was back in the area to star in "Turtle Tale," a family film now making the rounds at festivals.

She is not jealous in the least of the family dog.

"He deserves it," she said Saturday. "He's always been such a personality. This dog is a star. I'm happy he's finally getting credit he deserves."

Next up for Lily – a role in season three of the Netflix series Bloodline.

Back in Palm City, Debbie Cardone is fine with her husband's gesture. He often surprises her with flowers and other gifts, she said. "We have a very loving marriage."

Sebastian is recovering nicely, she added.

Contact Paul Guzzo at pguzzo@tampabay.com. Follow @PGuzzoTimes.