Bullet, the Wonder Dog...and Ultrarunning

Photo credit here.

Back in mid-July, I read that Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger, and his dog Bullet, had been sold.  Having grown up with the show, I was fascinated with the fact that they had been preserved via the miracle of taxidermy, were for sale, and that the selling prices were so high.

NEW YORK — Roy Rogers' stuffed and mounted dog, Bullet, fetched $35,000 on the second day of an auction of the movie cowboy's belongings in New York City.

An executive of Nebraska cable TV network RFD-TV says the company bought Bullet to accompany Rogers' horse Trigger, which the company snagged Wednesday for more than $266,000. RFD-TV chief financial officer Steve Campione says the network hopes to start a museum one day.

I had forgotten that the dog, Bullet, was referred to in the show as “Bullet, the Wonder Dog.”  That got me to thinking....

Here’s an excerpt from a Roy Rogers’ fan site:

Bullet The Wonder Dog was a character on the television series "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951 - 1957). In real life the German Shepherd that played Bullet had the same name, and was also a family pet that was owned by the show's married stars, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. "The Roy Rogers Show" was an action-packed Western with plenty of things for a good, honest, dog like Bullet to do. Bullet was a master at knowing who the bad guys were, and always eager to bite a gun out of their hand or to tackle them when his human partners were outnumbered. He could run alongside Roy's horse Trigger and keep up no matter where they went, but he also got to ride in Pat Brady's Jeep, Nellybelle. Bullet himself probably lost count of all times he untied Roy or Dale when they had been caught by villains, and of all the bad guys he led them to.

Now, I’ve been around a few dogs in my day, but one dog belonging to a particular family member surely qualifies as a wonder dog, for he saved his master’s life. I already posted about it here, and the details are personal and don’t matter, but suffice it to say that this dog was there to offer unqualified love, support, and non-judgmental loyalty during a time of great darkness. This dog was there when everything was crumbling and remained true.

To this day I often hug him and thank him for saving my family member’s life. Of course he doesn’t know the actual words I’m saying to him when I sit on the floor beside him to whisper in his ear.  But it’s OK, he knows in his heart that’s just what a dog is supposed to do for his master.

Bullet, The Wonder Dog.  Photo credit here.

The link to Ultrarunning?  Bullet "could run alongside Roy's horse Trigger and keep up no matter where they went."  That's the feeling I get once in awhile when it all comes together on the trail.