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December 24, 1978

 Cleveland Amory (September 2, 1917 to October 14, 1998) was a self-described curmudgeon. This New York writer was already a staunch supporter of animal protection when, on Christmas Eve, in 1978, he found a stray white kitten on the city street; "Polar Bear" was what he named the cat. Amory went on to write three profitable books about their life together.

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