‘Red Dog’ is perhaps the most famous dog in Australia (and perhaps throughout the world), known for his extensive adventures throughout Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The red Kelpie hitchhiked through numerous towns in the region by stopping cars on the road by walking right in the path of the oncoming vehicle until it stopped. He would then hop in and travel to wherever the car was going.
History
Red Dog was born in 1971 in the mining town of Paraburdoo and was given the name Tally Ho by his first owner, Colin Cummings. The nickname “Red Dog” comes from the red dirt of the Pilbara Region. However, the nickname ‘red dog’ is fairly common for red kelpies and heelers, similar to the names ‘Blue Dog’ or ‘Bluey’ being common nicknames for Australian cattle dogs.
His second owner was John Stazzonelli, who worked as a bus driver with Hamersley Iron. John took the dog with him on his bus wherever he went. With John, Red Dog travelled as far as Broome, Roebourne, Port Hedland and even as far south as Perth.
After Stazzonelli passed away in 1975, Red Dog continued to travel on his own. He was taken in by many members of the community, and Red became a member of the Transport Workers’ Union and the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club. Red was given a bank account by the Bank of New South Wales and became the Bank’s unofficial mascot. He was universally loved wherever he went. Once, when he was kicked off a bus by a new driver, all the passengers all disembarked in protest.
Red dog passed away in 1979 having accumulated numerous adventures and different owners. He was buried in a secret, unmarked grave in Roebourne, Western Australia.
Legacy
Statue of the Red Dog in Dampier, Western Australia
Red Dog’s legacy continues to live on. In a town called Dampier in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, there is a statue commemorating the legend of the hitchhiking, people-loving adventurer Red Dog. It was this very statute that led Louis de Bernières to write his novel Red Dog, which was published in 2001. The film adaptation based on the book (with the same name) was released in 2011, and was followed by a prequel, Red Dog: True Blue, which was released in 2016.
Red Dog Movie Poster
