Bobbie was a dog from Silverton, Oregon, who became famous across the United States after returning to his family on his own in 1924, six months after disappearing during a trip to Indiana. The route later reconstructed from accounts of his journey was estimated at about 2,800 miles, or roughly 4,500 kilometres.
Bobbie’s Disappearance
Bobbie was a Scotch Collie mix and was about two years old in the summer of 1923. He was travelling with Frank and Elizabeth Brazier on a road trip across the United States, far from the family’s home in Silverton.
On 15 August 1923, while the family was in Wolcott, Indiana, Bobbie was chased by several dogs and ran away. Frank Brazier searched the area and even tried using the car horn, a sound Bobbie knew well, in the hope that it might help him find the dog. The search was unsuccessful, and the family eventually returned to Oregon without him.
More than 4,000 kilometres separated Indiana from Silverton. The Braziers did not know whether Bobbie was still alive and had no information about where he might be.
On 15 February 1924, exactly six months after he disappeared, Bobbie returned to Silverton. He was extremely thin, his coat was in poor condition, and his paws bore the signs of a long journey.
News of his return quickly spread through the town. The Silverton Appeal reported the story, which was later picked up by newspapers in other parts of the United States.
The Brazier family began receiving letters from people who said they had seen Bobbie during his journey. Some were able to describe distinctive markings on the dog, which made it possible to reconstruct part of his route.
The Oregon Humane Society reviewed the family’s account and the reports received from different communities. After examining the information, the organization concluded that Bobbie had travelled about 2,800 miles to make his way back to Oregon. His journey took him across a large part of the United States during the autumn and winter months.
Bobbie Becomes the “Wonder Dog”
The American press called him “Bobbie the Wonder Dog,” and the story of his return became known nationwide. Bobbie received medals, ceremonial keys to several cities and an ornate harness decorated with stones.
More than 40,000 people came to see him at the Portland Home Show. Bobbie was also given a doghouse built especially for him.
His story was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! In 1926, writer Charles D. Alexander published Bobbie, a Great Collie, a book devoted to the dog and his journey.
Bobbie also appeared in the silent film The Call of the West, playing himself. Part of the film survives in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society.
Bobbie died in 1927 and was buried at the Oregon Humane Society cemetery.
Portland Mayor George Baker attended the funeral and delivered the eulogy. Rin Tin Tin, the dog who became famous through Hollywood films in the 1920s, later placed a wreath at Bobbie’s grave.