Those of you who, like me, sobbed your way through the film Red Dog might be interested to learn that there are two monuments of him in the Pilbarra - one in Paraburdoo and another in Dampier.
After leaving Point Samson we stayed a couple of nights in Dampier, on Bardi, Nyunyul and Jabirr Jabirr country. Unfortunately we saw nothing other than the waiting room at Karratha Hospital's Emergency Department and the Red Dog monument. There was nothing at all interesting about the ED so we'll tell you about Red Dog instead.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, Red Dog was a kelpie/cattle dog cross born sometime in 1971 in Paraburdoo, near Tom Price. He was a friendly dog who was well known in the region. His first human, and the one that took him to Dampier, named him Tally Ho, but he was also given other names by people who met him including: Bluey; Pilbarra Wanderer; and Dog of the Northwest. But it was the nickname "Red Dog" - referring to the red dust of the Pilbarra - that stuck.
Red Dog's second owner was a bus driver and he would take Red Dog with him on the bus, travelling around Dampier, Karratha and the surrounding regions. He made many friends in the area and was loved by all. When his second human died, Red Dog spent a lot of time travelling on his own. He was taken in by many members of the communities in the area, some of whom took him on adventures as far away as Perth and Broome. But Red Dog was a free spirit and was never 'owned' by a human.
Despite his many friends right across the Pilbarra, his death in 1979 was believed to have been from poisoning. He's thought to be buried in an unmarked grave somewhere between Roebourne and Cossack. It was nice to learn that we've been following in Red Dog's footsteps in our travels through the Pilbarra. To pay homage to Red Dog, we've scheduled a special screening of the film tonight and have stocked up with two extra boxes of tissues. And that's just for the Labs.
Here's a couple of photos taken at the memorial on our way out of Dampier, and another actual photo of Red Dog courtesy of the Red Dog website. If you haven't seen the film, it's a tear-jerker if ever there was one, but worth seeing. You can find it on the major streaming platforms.
And no need to worry about the trip to ED, we're back on our feet again and continuing our adventures.
Glad you’re on top of health concerns. We can’t have ‘free spirited’ dogs anymore due to all the rules. Maybe we need a yes vote for dogs. take care B. Jo. Xx
We loved Red Dog and, like you, needed lots of tissues. Glad you’re back on all paws too!
Hope all is ok❤. Red Dog is a tear jerker.
Yes Red Dog is a great film. I am curious about your visit to ED but glad to hear that all is okay.