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Arthur (dog)

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Arthur in 2019
Mikael Lindnord and Arthur in Ecuador during the Adventure Racing World Championship 2014.

Arthur (2007(?) – 8 December 2020) was an Ecuadorian dog who attached himself to a Swedish adventure racing team when they were competing in the Adventure Racing World Championship in 2014, and was then brought to Sweden.

Adventure Racing World Championship

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In November 2014, Mikael Lindnord was in Ecuador as leader of the four-person Team Peak Performance, competing in the Adventure Racing World Championship in coastal Ecuador, when he offered a canned meatball to a village dog.[1][2] The dog then followed the team for the rest of the race. He sometimes had to be hauled out of deep mud, and during the kayaking leg he jumped into the water and swam alongside until Lindnord hauled him aboard, after which he delayed the team by jumping back in after fish.[3][4][5][6][7]

Lindnord named him Arthur after King Arthur of Britain, because of his royal appearance.[5][8][9]

Life in Sweden

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Arthur with his Swedish family.

After a crowdfunding campaign started by the Swedish newspapers, Twitter campaign,[6] received assistance from the Ecuadorian Minister for Social Affairs,[10] and obtained permission from the Swedish Board of Agriculture, Lindnord was able to bring Arthur back to Sweden.[1][4][11] Arthur required veterinary care and had to remain in quarantine for 120 days; in March 2015, after dental surgery, a "small operation"[12] and a press conference, he went to live with Lindnord and his family in Örnsköldsvik.[2][13][14][15][16][17][18] According to the Ecuadorian and Swedish Veterinarian, Arthur was between five and seven years old when brought to Sweden.[10]

In late November 2014 an Ecuadorian man told an Ecuadorian newspaper that Arthur was his dog, Barbuncho.[19][20][21][22] Several people acquainted with the owner told Lindnord that he had actually taken the dog from a man and his family, but Lindnord then blamed them for being complicit in animal abuse.[23] There was never any evidence of abuse, however; the dog lived in a rural, tropical area and was known to accompany his owner on hunting trips and treks with international tropical biologists and health professionals with whom the owner worked. After a petition was started by animal activists in Ecuador threatening violence towards and incarceration of the former owner, the owner and his acquaintances decided to back down to keep his family safe.[24][25]

In May 2015 Arthur accompanied the team in the Wings For Life World Run in Kalmar.[26][27]

Arthur was diagnosed with a malignant tumour and died on December 8, 2020.[28][29][30]

Book and film

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Lindnord together with co-writer Val Hudson have written three bestseller books about Arthur. Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home was published in 2016, Arthur and Friends was published in 2017 and Young Arthur - Inspired by the true story of Arthur, the rescue dog published in 2024.

A film, Arthur the King was released by Lionsgate on March 15, 2024. The screenplay is based on the book Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home. Mark Wahlberg stars as Mikael Lindnord, while Helena Lindnord is being portrayed by Juliet Rylance. Other actors in the movie include Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman.[31][32] Though the story recounted in the books took place in Ecuador, the film was set and filmed in the Dominican Republic, leading to much disappointment and confusion among Ecuadorians, as reflected on X and social media venues when the film trailer was released. [33][34]

Legacy

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A charity named after Arthur, "Arthur Foundation," was created to help street dogs.[1][2][8][9][26][35] Arthur Foundation's priority was to support the LOBA law in Ecuador (Law of Animal Welfare – Ley Organica de Bienestar Animal). In April 2017 the LOBA law was approved and published and on April 12, 2018, the Organic Environmental Code including the LOBA law went into effect.[36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Savage, Maddy (November 25, 2014). "'Swedish' street dog becomes global celebrity". The Local. Sweden.
  2. ^ a b c "An Ecuadorian stray dog named Arthur finds his forever home in Sweden". The World. Public Radio International. March 20, 2015.
  3. ^ McCoy, Terrence (November 24, 2014). "The amazing story of a stray dog that followed an extreme adventure team through miles of Amazon jungle". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b Ollerenshaw, Tracy (November 24, 2014). "Stray dog taken to Sweden after epic trek around Ecuador". Newsbeat. BBC.
  5. ^ a b "A stray dog adopts a team of Swedish trekkers on an endurance race in the Amazon". The World. Public Radio International. November 24, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Chappell, Bill (November 25, 2014). "Dog Follows Athletes Through Mud And Water, And Melts Hearts". The Two-Way. National Public Radio.
  7. ^ "Arthur, el perro ecuatoriano que conquistó a los aventureros suecos". El Universo (in Spanish). November 18, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Cameron, Nicola (December 26, 2014). "The UpBeat: A jungle trek, a new friend and a foundation for stray dogs". Ottawa Citizen.
  9. ^ a b Roden, Lee (May 19, 2016). "How Arthur the jungle dog 'opened doors and minds'". The Local (Interview). Sweden.
  10. ^ a b Eriksson, Niklas (November 20, 2014). "Arthur har landat på svensk mark". Aftonbladet (in Swedish).
  11. ^ Molloy, Mark (November 25, 2014). "Stray dog starts new life in Sweden after incredible journey from Amazon rainforest". The Daily Telegraph.
  12. ^ Fallenius, Karin; Svanberg, Nina (March 22, 2015). "Äventyrshunden Arthur friskförklarad efter karantän" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television.
  13. ^ Löfgren, Emma (March 19, 2015). "Stray dog Arthur to move in with Swedish family". The Local. Sweden.
  14. ^ Demred, Jon (March 20, 2015). "Här återförenas hunden Arthur och Mikael". Aftonbladet (in Swedish).
  15. ^ Malmgren, Kim (March 20, 2015). "Arthur fri – efter 120 dagars karantän". Expressen (in Swedish).
  16. ^ Säll, Anton (March 20, 2015). "Hunden Arthur återförenas med husse". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
  17. ^ Hellem Aanstad, Kristine (March 22, 2015). "Gatehunden Arthur er endelig hjemme". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian).
  18. ^ Björnlundh, Tove (November 6, 2015). "Djurhälten: 'Det har varit en omtumlande resa': Ett år har gått sedan Mikael Lindnord fick sällskap av gatuhunden Arthur". Aftonbladet (in Swedish).
  19. ^ Bonilla, Marcel (November 29, 2014). "El dueño del perro Arthur ahora solicita una indemnización". El Comercio (in Spanish). Ecuador.
  20. ^ Joo, Nathalie; Bergsten, Frida (December 7, 2014). "Vändningen: Arthur har redan en husse". Expressen (in Swedish).
  21. ^ "Dog Arthur may have another owner". Radio Sweden - News in English. Sveriges Radio. December 8, 2014.
  22. ^ Friederic, K (September 2022). "Saving Stray Dogs: The Global Politics of Aid and Spectacle in the Ecuadorian Jungle". Anthropology Now.
  23. ^ Friederic, Karin (April 30, 2024). "Based on the Incredible True Story: Colonial Minds, Late Capitalist Hearts, and Deception in Hollywood". Anthropology News. USA. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  24. ^ Friederic, Karin (April 30, 2024). "Based on the Incredible True Story: Colonial Minds, Late Capitalist Hearts, and Deception in Hollywood". Anthropology News. USA. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  25. ^ Friederic, K (September 2022). "Saving Stray Dogs: The Global Politics of Aid and Spectacle in the Ecuadorian Jungle". Anthropology Now.
  26. ^ a b "Ecuador stray dog Arthur in global charity race". The Local. Sweden. May 4, 2015.
  27. ^ Wallén-Widung, Minna (May 3, 2015). "Gatuhunden Arthur i fokus under nytt lopp". Expressen (in Swedish).
  28. ^ "Mikael Lindnord Instagram". Instagram. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  29. ^ Hällsten, Amanda (9 December 2020). "Gatuhunden Arthurs liv gick inte att rädda". Aftonbladet (in Swedish).
  30. ^ "Hunden Arthur har dött" (with video, 55 sec) (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. 11 December 2020 [9 December 2020].
  31. ^ "Mark Wahlberg Bonds with a Stray Dog Under Extreme Circumstances in Arthur the King Trailer (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  32. ^ Arthur the King (2024) Official Trailer - Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, retrieved 2023-11-22
  33. ^ McLemore, Andrew (2023-11-16). "In 'Arthur the King,' Mark Wahlberg Brings Story of Adventure Racing Dog to Big Screen". GearJunkie. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  34. ^ Friederic, Karin (April 30, 2024). "Based on the Incredible True Story: Colonial Minds, Late Capitalist Hearts, and Deception in Hollywood". Anthropology News. USA. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  35. ^ Quayle, Anna (21 April 2017). "Multisporthunden Arthur får eget lopp" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television.
  36. ^ Friederic, Karin (April 30, 2024). "Based on the Incredible True Story: Colonial Minds, Late Capitalist Hearts, and Deception in Hollywood". Anthropology News. USA. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
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