The Story of Rin Tin Tin

The Rin Tin Tin Story

Rio Tin Tin and his descendants have been inspiring and entertaining audiences for more than eighty years. Today he is among the most beloved dogs ever in both fact and legend. His story has inspired books, films, cartoons, board games, and merchandise, and his name has come to be associated with the very best qualities in dogs. Rio Tin Tin progeny continue to entertain audiences through their inspiring story and personal appearances. All of Rio Tin Tin's earnings are donated directly to ARFKids, a group that supplies terminally ill and disabled kids with service dogs trained especially for them.

"Rinty" is the most recognized German Shepherd Dog in history and descends from the oldest continuous bloodline in the breed, thereby fulfilling his first owner's dream that "there will always be a Rin Tin Tin:' For more information, write to Rin Tin Tin Incorporated, Box 27, Crockett, Texas, 75835; 936-545-0471.

September 15, 1918: Corporal Lee Duncan, in Lorraine, France. with his battalion during World War I, visits a bombed war dog kennel and discovers the only survivors: a German Shepherd Dog named Betty and her litter of five ten-day-old puppies. The family is rescued, but only one of the puppies ultimately survives: the one named Rin Tin Tin.

1918: Duncan brings his beloved dog back home to Los Angeles and attends dog shows. where filmmaker Darrell Zanuck sees Rin Tin Tin jump 13.5 feet and uses the dog to try out his new moving camera.

1922: Rin Tin Tin appears in a film called The Man from Hell's River after filmmakers, experiencing difficulty with a scene involving a wolf, take Duncan up on his boastful promise that his dog could do the scene in one take, A canine star is born.

1923-1932: Rin Tin Tin saves Warner Bros. from the brink of bankruptcy and goes on to make twenty-six pictures for the studio. At the height of his career he earns a record (for a dog, anyway) $2,300 a week.

August 10, 1932: Rin Tin Tin dies just as he is scheduled to begin shooting a new film, At the peak of his career, Rin Tin Tin received more than 10,000 fan letters a week and was the only dog in Los Angeles to be Listed in the telephone directory, As a gesture of honor to the dog's home country, Duncan has the dog buried in Paris. France, where his black onyx, gold-Leafed headstone reads, "Star of Cinema:'

1933: Having abandoned the film project of the previous year, Warner Bros, sends Duncan, devastated by the loss of his pet, on the road with one of Rin Tin Tin's puppies, Junior, who is now dubbed Rin Tin Tin. The dog wins the hearts of audiences wherever he goes, most notably that of his owner: when Duncan's wife files for divorce, she cites Rin Tin Tin as a co-respondent, claiming her husband Loves the dog more than he Loves her.

1941-1953: Duncan continues to study and breed German Shepherd Dogs, attending shows and participating in the development of the breed as Rin Tin Tin's progeny continue to perform in films and elsewhere.

1954: In the first episode of a new TV action series, the U.S. Cavalry comes upon the only survivor of an attack by Apache Indians - a little boy named Rusty (played by lee Aaker) and his German Shepherd Dog, Rinty. They are taken to Fort Apache in Arizona, and Rusty is made an honorary corporal so he can remain at the fort with the soldiers whose hearts he has won.

1954-1959: The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin dominates TV programming, and Rin Tin Tin becomes established as a household name once and for all. Two dogs share the lead role: the dogs that Duncan had registered as Rin Tin Tin II and Rin Tin Tin IV.

1956: Janiettia Brodsgaard Propps acquires Rin Tin Tin IV's son and Duncan's blessing for her breeding program to continue the dog's lineage.

1960: Duncan dies on September 20, leaving Rin Tin Tin's bloodline in the hands of Ms. Propps and her granddaughter, Daphne Hereford, who maintains it still. She does so abiding by the primary concerns Duncan had for the dog's progeny: intelligence and a sound working environment. Today's Rin Tin Tin puppies are identical to Rin Tin Tin II and Rin Tin Tin IV. The breeding program is closed, which means that all puppies are adopted under a nonbreeding agreement to protect "not only ... the integrity of the lineage:' says Ms. Hereford, "but the Rin Tin Tin name."

1999: Ms. Hereford founds the ARFKids - A Rinty for Kids") in cooperation with Rin Tin Tin Incorporated after learning about the many children who are on waiting lists for assistance dogs. The foundation provides service dogs to disabled children at no cost; these include dogs of the Rin Tin Tin lineage as well as qualified dogs from other breeders of German Shepherd Dogs. ARFKids is staffed by volunteers and funded completely by grants and donations; for more information or to make a contribution to this worthy organization, visit www.arfkids.com.

2003: A petition is circulated by fans requesting that the U.S. Postal Service issue a stamp featuring Rin Tin Tin.