Savannah – The first dog to walk around the world

For the benefit of anyone that aspires to undertake a trek of this magnitude, particularly with a canine companion, they would be well advised to follow certain guidelines.

Route planning that ensures minimal visa requirements and extensive research regarding the crossing of borders by dogs.

Furthermore, people who hold dual nationality should be aware that a passport usually states the holder’s country of birth. Be aware that anyone entering a country that has turbulent relations with the country of your birth can be a hostile place.

They cannot rely for their safety on the procession of a passport issued by another country, as it will almost certainly state their original nationality. There are a number of countries that do not recognise dual citizenship, for example at the time of writing this, among others are Iran, India and China. Indeed some countries consider the acquisition of a second passport makes the first one invalid.

Last but not least, anyone going for a record in the Guinness Book of World Records should be aware there are a number of requirements to qualify. Not that that was a priority for Tom Turcich as far as I am aware.

For the benefit of those who, not unreasonably, are wondering how this type of venture is funded,  Tom and Savannah were able to obtain a sponsor and, later on, financial backing from fans who follow their adventures.

Just keep walking

On 2^nd April 2015, just before his 26^th birthday Tom Turcich left his home in Haddon Township, New Jersey, USA and started walking and having started just kept going, just like the character played by Tom Hanks in the movie Forest Gump. In the case of Tom Hanks, he couldn’t stop running, but in the case of Tom Turcich, he didn’t stop walking. In fact, he didn’t stop for seven years! In those seven years, he walked approximately 45,000 Kilometres (28000 miles) crossed five continents and 35 countries.

After a few months into the walk, Tom adopted Savannah when he was in Austin, Texas, the two have become inseparable, and Tom solved the problem of being alone. Not to be confused with loneliness. Loneliness is when you suffer from being isolated from human company affecting physical and emotional health, whereas being alone is perhaps having a restless night and only requires the companionship of an animal. Some folks crave human contact and conversation and, without it, can become depressed, and some, like me, could easily go for weeks without human contact as long as they had a dog or, in some cases, a pet of any sort.

As most dog owners will testify, “You’re never alone with a dog.”

There was a practical reason as well.  Sleep could be interrupted by all sorts of sounds, like the rustling of the wind, but if there was a real threat from an intruder, a dog would usually bark. With the introduction of Savannah, a good night’s sleep was assured.

By the roadside

Savannah was around four months old at the time, having been found abandoned at the side of a road with her sister.  Being a puppy, she was obviously unable to cover the mileage at such a tender age, so Tom had to put her in a pram (stroller) that he used to transport his gear. To get Savannah to behave and follow his instructions, Tom used sausages as a reward.

Now before anybody says it, sausages are not the recommended treat for training a canine, and I agree, however, it’s not the type of treat that matters, but the fact that they work and if that is all that is available, so be it.

Surprisingly the majority of countries had no problems with a dog crossing borders as long as an up-to-date rabies vaccination and health certificate were presented.

Stray dogs were an occasional threat, particularly in South and Central America, but due to Savannah’s mild and non-confrontational approach to other dogs, the meetings were quickly defused. There were, of course, unavoidable predators in the form of everything from moose and bears to porcupines and skunks, and fortunately, the only lasting issue was having been sprayed by a skunk. Savannah decided that once was enough and avoided them at all costs. Wild bears, no problem but skunks, no way!!

Infection in Peru

Savannah has a preference for snow as opposed to heat, with heat causing her some discomfort as her dense coat was a problem, and Tom used a jacket soaked in water and trimmed her hair in summer. Food was never an issue, but Tom had to be wary of Savannah drinking from just any water source. In developing countries, even the locals avoided certain water, so he carried water so that Savannah avoided bacterial infections.

Unfortunately, Savannah suffered from a tick infection in Peru and needed to visit a veterinary surgeon, and this necessitated having to rest, and the walk was put on hold for a while. Needless to say, both Tom and Savannah were not in the best of shape when it was possible to resume and walking had to be curtailed and reintroduced gently.

They walked, on average, approximately 24 miles per day.

There were times during this epic trek when Tom struggled physically as he felt exhaustion taking over his body, but in those desperate moments when he felt he was unable to continue, he would look at Savannah. She was unable to explain how she felt, but every day without fail, she walked with her tail in the air and showed no signs of distress, no matter how hard the terrain. Her indefatigable attitude and her stoicism were an inspiration to Tom. Would he have made it without her? Probably, but without a doubt, her presence provided the motivation to carry on despite the hardships.

Finally…

On May 21^st 2022, the adventure came to an end as they finally arrived where Tom had started. By now, Savannah was around seven years old and was probably heading for the age when working dogs are heading for retirement. I guess it is fair to say that as she is, to date, the only canine to walk around the world, then she definitely has earned the right to have an extra half hour in bed in the morning!!