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Until you dive into the Terrierosphere, you might not realize how many famous Jacks there have been. But you should know
Know what we mean?
Here are some famous Jack Russell Terriers that you might have heard of. Others, well, if you haven’t heard of them, you should have!
Trump the Dog
Trump was the first JRT. You could call her the mother of the Jack Russell Terrier breed. Because she was.
Trump was a white terrier that belonged to the milkman in Parson John “Jack” Russell’s parish. Legend has it that the parson saw the milkman and his dog walk by, and recognized immediately that this was the dog upon which he would found his ideal terrier breed. Russell bought Trump on the spot, and the rest was history.
2. Uggie
In 2011, the French film The Artist charmed moviegoers around the world, despite being silent and in black and white. Roger Ebert called it “one of the most entertaining films I’ve seen in many a moon.”
And Uggie the Dog had a lot to do with that.
Sure there were some French people in it — probably some famous ones, too. But Uggie, the delightful Jack Russell Terrier, stole the show. In fact, the Motion Picture Academy nominated Uggie for an Oscar in 2011. Uggie also has an autobiography out: Uggie: My Story.
3. Beth and Bluebell
These two Jacks…er…Jills have a real rags-to-riches story. Beth was an unwanted puppy, turned in to the Battersea Dog and Cats Home in England by her owners. Bluebell was a stray.
And then?
Who should adopt the pair of them, but Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall? Now Beth and Bluebell are members of Britain’s royal family — along with the Queen’s corgis, Princess Charlotte’s hamster Marvin, and a veritable zoo of others. (Princess Diana also had a Jack, and you can see it in the video below.)
The Royal Family loves their pets, and, as you can imagine, spoils them rotten!
4. Bothy
Bothy is a JRT owned by explorers Ranulph and Ginny Fiennes. Bothy was the first dog to set paw on both the North and the South poles! Moreover, Bothy is likely to remain the only dog with that honor, as dogs have been banned from Antarctica since 1994, for fear of introducing disease.
A “bothy,” by the way, is a kind of shelter found in remote areas of Scotland, Northern England, Ireland and Wales. They’re usually left unlocked, and are free to use for hikers, or anyone who might find themselves stuck out in the middle of nowhere and in need of shelter.
5. Chalky
Chalky was a JRT that belonged to celebrity chef Rick Stein. Chalky frequently appeared on Stein’s TV show. Chalky reportedly loved children, but was the terror of postal workers and camera operators everywhere. He also enjoyed riding in boats.
Terriers Everywhere!
I don’t know about you, but once I started getting involved with Jack Russell Terriers, I began to see them everywhere. And it’s a wonderful thing! Their energy and enthusiasm always makes me smile.
Do you have any favorite famous Jacks that didn’t make this list? Tell us about them in the comments!
Featured Image CC 2.0, by Emery Way, via Wikimedia Commons