Antonio was born in 1938, the second youngest of eleven to a family of Mexican-American farmworkers in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Chinook was his childhood dog and best friend, often seen riding shotgun in his ‘38 Forde Coupe or joining early-morning field work. In 1961, when the Martinez family stopped at a roadside motel on the move to California, he disappeared. Devastated, the family eventually moved on but Chinook was never forgotten. Three years later, the family received an unexpected call from an old neighbor. A disheveled white shepherd was sitting outside, pawing at the door of their abandoned childhood home. When Chinook jumped through the crook of Antonio’s brother Ben’s arm just like he used to, the family knew it was him. After piecing together his mysterious journey, earning headlines worldwide, and receiving a dedicated monument from the Humane Society, Antonio is dedicated to bringing Chinook’s story back to life.
