Greyfriars Bobby

Red Dog - The Pilbara Wanderer

Red Dog In 1971 Red Dog was born in Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
His mother was a cross between a Kelpie and an Australian Cattle dog. Historically a Kelpie is a cross between a dingo (a reddish coloured Australian wild dog) and smooth haired Scottish collie.

The red dust of the region coloured his coat a reddish colour, giving him his name, Red Dog. He had a variety of other names to those knew him as he travelled widely throughout Western Australia.

Colonel Cummings who is believe to have been his first owner, named him Tally Ho, he brought him to Dampler (where there is a statue in his memory). About a year later Colonel Cummings was transferred to Dampier about 200 miles away and Tally Ho went with him.
During the journey Tally Ho became so covered in the red dust, that the name Red Dog stuck.

In Dampier, Red Dog adopted his second owner John Stazzonelli. John had been in the army, and then went on to work in the transport division of Hamersley Iron, WA. It was here the two found each other and an unbreakable bond between man and dog was formed. Red travelled with John in his truck all over Western Australia, sometimes as far as Perth.
John Stazzonelli, died in a motorbike accident in July, 1975 at the age of 27. Red, being unaware that his master had died, spent the rest of his life looking for John. Red searched everywhere they had been together over the years.

Following John’s death in 1975, Red spent a lot of time travelling on his own although he was taken in by many members of the community and a veterinarian who treated him. Red was made a member of the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club and the Transport Union. He was also given a bank account with Wales Bank, which is said to have used him as a mascot and sales tool with the slogan, “If Red banks at the Wales, then you can too”. Although he had many friends, it is believed that his death in 1979 was caused by deliberate strychnine poisoning. Red is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere between Dampier and Karratha.