| Red Dog | |
|---|---|
1st edition (US) |
|
| Author(s) | Louis de Bernières |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fiction |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books (US) Secker & Warburg UK |
| Publication date | Sep 2001 (US)[1] Oct 2001 (UK)[2] |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 119 |
| ISBN | 0-375-42155-6 |
Red Dog (2002) is a short novel by Louis de Bernières charting the life of a popular dog, a "Red Cloud Kelpie" nicknamed Red Dog, in Karratha, Western Australia.[3] A movie based on the novel was filmed in Australia in 2011.[4]
Contents |
Red Dog covers the life span of a Red Cloud Kelpie, originally named Tally Ho. His owners are Jack and Maureen Collins. At a barbecue, Tally Ho doesn't return to the owners after they leave, and he goes away. Red Dog meets John, who is half Maori, at the Hamersley Iron Transport section after a salt company has moved in. Red Dog is very attached to John and they spend a lot of time together. As the town grows, more people come and befriend Red Dog. Nancy and Patsy come into the story. Nancy notices that Red Dog has been shot, she calls John and his friend and they choose to stop work to save Red Dog in case he bleeds to death. Red Dog undergoes an operation. Ellen is introduced. John then has an accident and dies.
Red Dog doesn't realize John has died so he goes out and looks for him. He spends time in a caravan park with Nancy and meets Red Cat. They eventually befriend each other despite their differences. Red Dog is suspected of having heartworm and has treatment for it. Red Dog then goes back to the caravan park and is noticed by the caretakers of the park. The Cribbages are portrayed as bad people, with Mr. Cribbage described as having a Hitler-like mustache. They decide to throw Nancy out because she lets Red Dog stay despite the park having a "no dogs" policy. Many people are then notified of the Cribbages wanting to kick out Red Dog and the locals threaten them away. The Last Journey then tells how Red Dog is poisoned by strychnine and has to be put down. Bill and Piotr (Peeto) find him and don't want him to suffer, but in the end they cannot shoot him. The vet who treated Red Dog in the past injects him with a painkiller and eventually he dies. The locals hold a funeral for Red Dog.