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Red Dog has his day refusing to get out until he reached the discovering Red Dog had heartworm. Red Dog, a feature film celebrating the destination he had in mind. "Because he was always moving I had to life of a legendary Kelpie who roamed the Veterinarian Dr Rick Fenny first lock him in the pound so he could complete in the 1970s, is set for release in encountered Red Dog when he opened a his heartworm treatment that took 28 days Australian cinemas in August. practice in Karratha in 1975. "Red Dog back then," Rick says. Word quickly spread The film, produced by Nelson Woss, was loved and accepted by us all because that Red Dog had been impounded and tracks the life and times of'Red Dog' he epitomised the spirit and the people enraged locals broke in and released him. - a gutsy four-legged larrikin with an of the times - the restless, itinerant, The following day notices were put up uncanny nose for a social occasion who single, knockabout men of the north," around town to explain his impounding was touched the lives of all with whom he Rick says. "He was all of that in a dog for treatment purposes only. crossed paths in the mining towns of - a bloke's dog. He and I were kindred "To avoid the chance of a repeat escape 's north-west region. spirits and I considered him a mate as the ranger picked him up the following The stout, rust-coloured Kelpie was well as my patient." day and for the rest of his treatment he believed to have been born in Paraburdoo Red Dog broke all the rules when was guest of honour in the ranger's paddy in 1971, had several owners and several it came to established protocol and wagon, sitting up as proud as punch while nicknames but never stopped in one place convention and was held in such high he cruised the streets and barked at every for long. Red Dog gained a reputation esteem by Pilbara locals that they adopted cat and dog within view - he had an for being an intrepid hitchhiker, often him as their own. He was a fully paid absolute ball," Rick says. stopping cars and iron-ore trains and member of the Transport Workers Union, Sadly, Red Dog became critically ill the Metal Trades Union and the Dampier after a suspected dose of strychnine Salt Sports and Social Club. poisoning. Rick put Red Dog down and "One thing that struck me about buried him in late 1979. Red Dog was his incredible nose for an "Red Dog was a free-spirit who did occasion - whether it was a football or exactly what he wanted - he had no cricket match, barbecue, outdoor movie master and he was nobody's servant," Rick or a session at the pub - it was simply says. Rick was a member of the original expected and accepted that Red Dog committee that arranged for a lifelike would be there," Rick says. statue to be built in Red Dog's honour in Being Red Dog's vet was not without the Pilbara town of Dampier. complications, as Rick found out after LARAjENSEN