Red Dog was believed to have been born in the town of
Paraburdoo, Western Australia in 1971. Tally Ho was his first name, given to him by Colin Cummings, who is believed to have been his first owner, and brought him to Dampier. The nickname "Red Dog" has been attributed to the red dirt of the Pilbara region (although "red dog" is a common nickname for red kelpies and heelers, much in the same way as "blue dog" or "Bluey" is a common nickname for the
Australian cattle dog). His second owner was John Stazzonelli, a bus driver with
Hamersley Iron, who took the dog with him in his bus. With Stazzonelli, Red Dog travelled as far as
Perth,
Broome,
Roebourne,
Point Samson and
Port Hedland. Following Stazzonelli's death in 1975, Red Dog spent a lot of time travelling on his own. He was also taken in by many members of the community, and a
veterinarian who treated him. Each time he visited the vet, it was with a new owner. Red Dog was buried, by veterinarian Rick Fenny, in a secret unmarked grave around
Roebourne, Western Australia. There is a plaque, fixed to a boulder, very close to where Red Dog was buried, about outside of the town of
Cossack, WA. There is a pin on
Google Maps showing the spot, although it is a little tricky to find it. Fenny's book
Pip – My first red kelpie talks about his time with Red Dog. ==Legacy==