A woman who “never liked dogs” has been walking and biking around the world with a street dog that she found neglected and covered in fleas.
An Australian cattle dog, ‘Butch’ must now be among the most well-traveled dogs on the planet, having been taken in by a woman who spends all her days exploring the world.
Heike Pirngruber worked as a camerawoman for ZDF, Germany’s biggest broadcast station, over a decades-long career that ended 12 years ago when she decided to hit the road permanently. It’s taken her across over 104 countries on all inhabited continents to date.
She had been looking to travel across the Americas on a donkey in March 2020, before taking a break in a beach hut in Baja, California the following year.
Having been chased by dogs on more than one occasion during her travels, a lack of affection for the canine race grew into a dislike—all until her experience in the beach hut.
Cooking grilled chicken one night, a stray dog named Max—meek and mild—came to the front door, and Pirngruber’s friend Ronny convinced her to let him stay. The following day, Max came back with two friends.
During her sojourn in the beach hut, the three strays gradually nursed away her fear of dogs—a prerequisite to a lifechanging experience not long after.
“I never really liked dogs when I was a kid, but the first moment I had little Butch in my arms and knew he was mine now, I couldn’t believe how I felt,” Pringruber told England’s Southwestern News Service.
Butch was chosen from among a litter of seven flea-ridden puppies that a pair of unscrupulous owners were looking to cast aside. Despite all the uncertainties and extra responsibilities that traveling with a dog would bring, she looked into Butch’s face and knew what she wanted to do.
“He’s my best friend, I love this guy to death and it’s awesome,” the Heidelberg native said. “Australian cattle dogs are a tough breed, they are basically made for the outdoors and Butch does not know any other way—he only knows life on the road and we’re connecting footsteps nearly every day.”
To begin their friendship, the duo spent a total of three years in the Americas together, walking across states in the US, riding a motorbike in Arizona and central Mexico, canoeing in New York and Vermont, and using a tuk-tuk to get around Chile and Argentina.
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With the tuk-tuk in particular, they saw thousands of miles of South America, both on and offroad.
“We’ve seen amazing places and scenery, and because Butch had the back seat in the tuk-tuk, he could sit in the shade or the sun—I think he really enjoyed that,” said Pirngruber.
“Then we flew to Madrid, Spain and I went home for just the third time in 12 years. But it’s been clear each time I came home I couldn’t stay there, as it wasn’t my lifestyle anymore, even if there is still a connection to people at home.”
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In November last year, after four months at home in Germany, they started out eastward through Europe, starting on a walk through Spain, and proceeding to Andorra, France, and Italy before taking a boat to Greece.
Although Pirngruber does not plan much in advance, the pair are heading to Albania and the rest of the Balkans, before moving on to Turkey and eventually towards either India or Mongolia.
“I choose where we go mainly day by day. There are times when we want to get away from civilization and be by ourselves, and then other times I’m sitting at a square trying to get some contact with others, either in person or through my phone,” she said.
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“But I’m not a planner, and that’s the fun in it. I know the rough route, but it’s about experiencing new places. I love culture, I love to understand the planet. I just carry the basics, I go ultralight, I carry my camera and my first aid kit and Butch’s medicines so he’s protected from ticks and the like.”
“And 99% of people are nice and overall, I’ve had some great encounters with people, even though there have been some bad experiences and moments as a solo female traveler. It’s a safe world to travel in, in general.”
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