The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home
Hardcover, $24.95
Mikael Lindnord
Adventure Racing is the kind of sport that most of us mere
mortals find inexplicable. Why would anyone want to run, bike, paddle, ski,
hike, etc., for several days or weeks, through unmapped terrain, risking one’s
health and life, like some sort of weird global masochistic exercise? As Mikael
Lindnord writes, “I think suffering is a skill I have.” And he shares that
skill with a surprising number of other athletes who choose to torture
themselves in these competitions.
During the Ecuador Championship, Mikael and his team found
themselves facing a different challenge. After five grueling days, the team
rested at a transition stop, preparing for what the organizers had warned would
be the most difficult stretch: a trek through nearly impenetrable jungle, full
of “biting creatures,” and muddy bog holes that would slow the racers to a
crawl, and then finally a rigorous stretch of kayaking to the finish line. As
they settled uncomfortably at the transition area, hoping for a couple of hours
of sleep, Mikael decided they all needed an extra dose of protein and carbohydrates.
He warmed up two packs of meatballs with pasta, what he considered a “five-star
dinner in the world of adventure racing.” The meal provided needed calories to
help them face the torture to come.
Amidst the chaos of the transition area, however, Mikael
spotted a dirty, yellow dog who quietly watched him. He was filthy and had a
wound on his back, and yet was calm and thoughtful, staring into Mikael’s eyes
from across the room. Having no experience with dogs, or any desire to approach
a disease-ridden stray, Mikael nevertheless was drawn to this creature. He
spooned out a couple of precious meatballs and walked over to the dog, placing
the food before him. The dog wolfed it down in an instant.
Mikael returned to his resting teammates, and began
preparing them mentally and physically for the test to come. He thought no more
about the dog, except to hope he would be OK. He knew the fate of strays in
this part of the world, and he wondered how this quiet, pensive fellow would survive.
Later that night, as the team struggled through the first
stretch of snake-invested bog, they were surprised to find a new member joining
them: the yellow dog had followed them into the thickest, muddiest, most
dangerous part of the jungle, and would not leave Mikael’s side. His
perseverance became an inspiration to the team. They could not abandon him, even
if he gave them a chance to, which of course, he did not.
The race continued, with Mikael’s team dropping further
behind, but their mission had changed from coming in at the top third to helping
their newest, four-legged teammate. By the time they crossed the finish line,
the dog had a name, Arthur, after the legendary king, and a growing presence on
social media. He and his team were greeted by cameras and fans, much to the
dismay of the winning team. The publicity turned Arthur into an overnight
celebrity. But even such a celebrity status couldn’t guarantee a safe passage
out of the country to Mikael’s home in Sweden. Bureaucrats and swindlers
smelling potential money to be made threw obstacles in the path of Arthur’s
emigration, as if this previously undesirable, neglected, and abused soul was
now somehow of vital national importance. Mikael, true to his nature, did not
give up. Nor did Arthur. It took a great deal of finagling and money to finally
get Arthur to Sweden where, unfortunately, he then faced quarantine. Still, he
was safe, and is now living happily with his family.
Arthur is now the namesake of a foundation set up to help
other Arthurs in the world by promoting immediate rescue and adoption, and
long-term changes, such as laws making it criminal to mistreat animals. To
donate and read more about this foundation, go to www.arthurfoundation.org. And to watch
a video about Mikael and Arthur, go to http://arworldseries.com/arthur-a-distance-of-6455-miles-doesnt-begin-to-measure-the-journey-one-dog-made/
He is only one dog, but Arthur has proven what it means to
survive and not ever give up. He is the elite athlete of this story, and
deserves every possible accolade.
