Bobbie the Wonder Dog

Imagine being 2500 miles from home with no access to an automobile, airplane, helicopter, or train.  You’re traversing frigid, mountainous terrain, and deserts for six months. This was the reality for a Scotch Collie named Bobbie.

Journey of a Lifetime

Bobbie lived with the Brazier family of Silverton, Oregon. In 1923, the family made the 2,500 mile drive to Wolcott, Indiana to visit family. Bobbi joined the family on this trip, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of this cross-country trip. When the family made a stop in Wolcott, Bobbie was chased away by local dogs. The Brazier family searched the area and put up posters, hoping to find their dog. Bobbie was nowhere to be found, and the heartbroken Brazier family made the trip back to Oregon.

Against all odds, Bobbie showed up in Silverton six months later. Bobbie walked at least 2,500 miles in the dead of winter, crossing the Rockies, the Great Continental Divide, and the Cascades, to return home. The local paper, the Silverton Appeal, published the story of Bobbie’s cross-country trek, and it quickly spread to newspapers across the country. The Braziers received hundreds of letters simply addressed to “Bobbie, the Wonder Dog.”