07/01/2025
Wow! Very interesting 🥰
REMEMBERING “TERRY,” THE CAIRN TERRIER WHO WALKED THE YELLOW-BRICK ROAD
One of the oldest Terrier breeds, the Cairn Terrier, was originally from the Scottish Highlands. Perhaps the earliest of Scotland’s working dogs, this breed assisted hunters by digging and tunneling into holes in search of small animals.
“Terry,” who we all know as “Toto,” was born in 1933, during the Depression years, and owned by Carl Spitz, a well-known Hollywood dog-trainer who utilized silent hand signals to prompt his dogs to perform.
Terry appeared in her first two movies the following year, 1934, inclusive of a role with Shirley Temple in the movie, “Bright Eyes.”
In 1939, Terry made her most memorable appearance in the technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film entitled, “The Wizard of Oz,” earning $125 per week…significantly more than most of the human actors that appeared in the feature.
Starring alongside Judy Garland, Terry was seriously injured as one of the film’s Winkie guards accidentally stepped on her foot, causing a fracture. Terry spent two weeks recovering in Garland’s home and the two became nearly inseparable. Garland asked to adopt Terry…Carl Spitz denied that request.
In 1939, Terry appeared in three films that were playing in theaters simultaneously…”The Women,” “Bad Little Angel” and ”The Wizard of Oz.”
Terry had a total of 16 film appearances between 1934 and 1945 and died, at the age of 11, in September of 1945.
