The first exposure that many people had to the Australian Kelpie breed was seeing the movie, “Red Dog.” The film’s plot was based on the true story of a Red Cloud Kelpie Kelpie born in 1971 who lived his life hitching rides and traveling throughout Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

The real “Red Dog”

He did have owners. Twice. Col Cummings was believed to have been his first owner, the one who named him “Tally Ho” and brought him to Dampier. How “Tally Ho” came to be owned by a Hamersley Iron bus driver, John Stazzonelli, is unknown to us, but Stazzonelli took the dog along on bus trips which is how the dog became so well known by locals. When Stazzonelli died in 1975,  the Kelpie now known as “Red Dog” spent a lot of time traveling on his own. In fact, it’s said the dog was infamous for stopping cars on the road by walking straight into the path of an oncoming car until it stopped, then hopping into the car and going wherever the driver was going. Red Dog was taken in by an assortment of people, and each time he visited a vet, it was with a new owner.

Though he was a much-loved member of the Pilbara community, someone didn’t like him at all. Red Dog was deliberately poisoned by strychnine in 1979. By then, the petty thief dog prone to unleashing anti-social farts was famous. He was a member of the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club, and a member of the Transport Workers’ Union. He was given a bank account with the Bank of New South Wales which made him their mascot along with the slogan: “If Red banks at the Wales, then you can too.”

A statue of Red was erected in Dampier, Western Australia, a town he visited often, with the inscription in a plaque:

Red Dog
The Pilbara Wanderer
Died November 21st, 1979

 Erected By The Many Friends Made During His Travels

Red’s story proved to be inspirational to many people. Australian author Nancy Gillespie, wrote and compiled anecdotes and poetry written by several people of the Pilbara region for her book Red Dog, as did Beverly Duckett in her 1993 book Red Dog: The Pilbara Wanderer.  Red Dog’s statue also inspired Louis de Bernières to write his story in his book, Red Dog,” which lead to a film version in which Red Dog was portrayed by a red Kelpie named, “Koko,” said to bear a strong resemblance to the real Red Dog. Take a look at “Koko’s” “audition:”

Now take a look at the movie trailer:

Red Dog was nominated in nine categories and won seven, including best feature film, at the 2011 Inside Film Awards.

As for “Koko,”  the former show dog won the Golden Collar Award for Best Dog in a Foreign Film in Los Angeles for his portrayal of Red Dog. In 2012, “Koko” was retired after being diagnosed with congestive heart disease, and sadly died later that year in Perth, Western Australia at the age of seven.

The “real” Red Dog has a Facebook page worth a visit for the pictures posted by people who knew Red Dog.