A scruffy stray dog found in Eureka is now starring alongside Mark Wahlberg in the movie “Arthur the King.”
Ukai, then known as Max,in his foster home, 2019. (Contributed/Mara Segal) Ukai was brought to the Humboldt County Animal Shelter in December 2019; he was about 4 months old and living on the streets.
Redwood Pals Rescue reached out to the people who’d rescued another, similar-looking dog for the big screen the previous year.
“He came to the shelter as a puppy and bore a strong resemblance to the other dog. I contacted my friends who had Seamus and let them know that I had a puppy,” said Mara Segal, a volunteer with Redwood Pals Rescue and the shelter.
In the movie, Ukai plays Arthur, a stray dog who followed and bonded with a team of adventure racers in Ecuador during a competition in 2014. The story is based on Mikael Lindnord’s book “Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,” and was released March 15.
Andre Hale, the animal control facilities manager for Humboldt County, said Ukai reminded them of Max from the Grinch — and, in fact, he was initially called Max by shelter workers. He’s got that stray dog look, and doesn’t really seem to be any breed in particular, a mutt. People magazine reported that Ukai is a mix of Australian shepherd, border collie and Bouvier des Flandres. He looks quite similar to the real-life Arthur, who died in 2020.
The dog was in the shelter only a short time and then was cared for at a foster home for about a week.
His quick move to the Southern California home of Seamus’ trainer was largely due to the two dogs’ resemblance, Hale said, noting that movies often have doubles for dogs, too.
Seamus, then around 2 years old, was found along Highway 36 near Bridgeville in 2018 and stuck around the shelter for a few months. Hale said he was a people pleaser but was “reactive” around other dogs and was not a huge fan of the noise in the shelter environment.
Ukai’s resemblance to Seamus, pictured here, sparked his move to Southern California and entry into stardom. (Courtesy of Redwood Pals Rescue)
Segal said Seamus would’ve been euthanized without another option. “That’s why our rescue exists. To protect dogs in situations like that,” she said.
Seamus was brought into the world of tricks and training, starring alongside Tom Hanks in “Finch,” a 2021 movie set in a post-apocalyptic world.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.