Was Red Dog a real dog?
Yes. Red Dog was a real red kelpie cross who wandered the Pilbara region of Western Australia in the 1970s. His life inspired the 2011 Australian film Red Dog and a book by Louis de Bernieres.
The dog travelled widely around towns such as Dampier, Karratha and Port Hedland, hitching rides with truck drivers and mine workers. He was known by many people, who fed and looked after him, and he became a local legend.
Red Dog, also called Tally Ho and the Pilbara Wanderer, died in 1979, possibly after being poisoned. A bronze statue in his honour stands at the entrance to Dampier.
The film
The 2011 film was directed by Kriv Stenders and starred Josh Lucas and Rachael Taylor, with a dog named Koko playing Red Dog. It became one of Australia's most popular films of the decade.
A prequel, Red Dog: True Blue, was released in 2016, starring Jason Isaacs and Levi Miller.
Louis de Bernieres, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, wrote the 2001 book Red Dog after seeing the statue on a visit to Western Australia.
Did You Know?
Koko, the kelpie who played Red Dog in the 2011 film, died in December 2012.