Rudd Weatherwax | |
|---|---|
 Weatherwax and Lassie, 1955 | |
| Born | Ruddell Bird Weatherwax September 23, 1907 |
| Died | February 25, 1985 (aged 77) |
| Other names | Ruddel Weatherwax |
Ruddell Bird "Rudd" Weatherwax (September 23, 1907 – February 25, 1985) was an American actor, animal trainer, and breeder. He and his brother Frank are best remembered for training dogs for motion pictures and television.[1] Their collie, Pal, became the original Lassie, handled by Rudd for the 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Lassie Come Home. He also handled the dogs for the Lassie television series which ran from 1954 to 1974, and trained Spike for the 1957 feature film Old Yeller. After his death, his son, Robert, took over the training of the animals.[2]
Weatherwax was also responsible for training the official New York Mets’ team mascot in the 1960s, a beagle named Homer.[3]
- ^ Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of TV Pets: A Complete History of Television's Greatest Animal Stars. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9781418557379. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of TV Pets. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, part of Thomas Nelson, Inc. ISBN 9781418557379.
- ^ Steve, Rushin (2005). The Caddie Was a Reindeer. Grove Press. p. 134. ISBN 9780802142115.