Latest news with #Dutcher
IOL News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
How a French bulldog who surfs ended up a movie star
When he's not on a surfboard or paddleboard, Dale enjoys riding on a bodyboard. Image: Julie Eggers Kyle Melnick One sunny morning in 2023, Dale went to a beach in Oahu, Hawaii, to surf three-foot waves in the Pacific Ocean. To Dale, a French bulldog, it was just another day at the beach. But it became something else entirely: It was the moment Dale made his acting debut. Dale was filming a scene for the live-action 'Lilo & Stitch' movie, which opened at the box office last weekend. The scene shows Dale at the front of a surfboard for a few seconds, inspiring the character Stitch to surf in the film. The movie is a remake of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who befriends a doglike alien, Stitch. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Before Dale started surfing, he was already adept at paddleboarding and bodyboarding. He picked up surfing for the movie and quickly found his new favorite hobby. In the past two years, the 6-year-old has loved standing on a blue, 11-foot long surfboard with his owner, Greg Dutcher, at a Honolulu surfing spot. 'He gets mad when we take him out of the water,' said Julie Eggers, who takes care of Dale with Dutcher, her boyfriend. After Dutcher bought Dale from a San Diego breeder in the spring of 2019, the French bulldog with a fawn and white coat learned to ride a small skateboard at tennis and basketball courts. He also enjoyed going to the beach - although he was initially scared of the water. Once he went in for the first time, he picked up swimming naturally and didn't want to leave. He now wears an orange life jacket. Dale became comfortable standing on Dutcher's paddleboard and also on a bodyboard to ride the waves. Beachgoers usually pull out their phones for photos and videos when they see Dale in the water. When Dutcher or Eggers take him out of the water, Dale often jumps back in and sometimes hops onto other boards so he can stay longer. Dale, who weighs 25 pounds, enjoys walks - but only at the beach. When Eggers tries to walk him around her neighborhood, he stops after a bit and sits on the concrete. In the spring of 2023, Eggers said, she responded to an Instagram post from an animal trainer who was looking for a French bulldog comfortable in the water for a film or TV shoot. Eggers said she thought Dale would be in a commercial. Dale enjoys surfing with his owner, Greg Dutcher. Image: Greg Dutcher Dutcher took Dale to a surfing spot in Waikiki, a Honolulu neighborhood, to meet J. Tyler London, who trains dogs to ride on surfboards and paddleboards. Dale balanced on the surfboard on his first try. 'He's so fearless,' Eggers said. Eggers was shocked when she later learned that Dale would be in 'Lilo & Stitch.' Dale reminded Eggers of Stitch because he makes similar gravely, nasally noises, she said. Dale's owners bought him a stuffed Stitch doll. In June 2023, Dale and London rode a surfboard together while cameras, boom mics and other equipment recorded them in Oahu, Eggers said. While the production crew needed to film other scenes afterward, Eggers said, Dale wanted to stay in the ocean. Dale's love for surfing blossomed afterward. He competes in a Honolulu surfing competition - where people surf with their dogs on board - in August with Dutcher, 43. Last month, when Disney began releasing clips from 'Lilo & Stitch' on YouTube, Eggers often checked her phone for updates, hoping to see one that starred Dale. On May 8, she said she gasped when she saw a video of Stitch, sitting on a beach eating sand, watching Dale ride the surfboard with London. Eggers, 44, showed the footage to Dale, hoping he would recognize himself. Alas, he stood and walked away. Eggers and Dutcher watched the movie, including Dale's brief cameo surfing with London, at a local theater when it came out Friday. It made $145.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. On Monday, a beachgoer recognized Dale at a Honolulu beach. While Dale doesn't seem to care about his newfound notoriety, or the several seconds he shows off his surfing skills to the world, he does seem quite happy about the extra time it's afforded him on the water. Unbeknownst to Dale, his internet fame has even grown with dog lovers in the past week. Dutcher received messages from French bulldog owners who said their dogs were born from the same breeder and on the same day as Dale, meaning they might be related. When Eggers learned one of Dale's long-lost sisters is named Lilo, she figured Dale was meant to be in 'Lilo & Stitch.' 'It was destiny,' Eggers said.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
The surfing French bulldog: Dale's journey to the ‘Lilo & Stitch' movie
When he's not on a surfboard or paddleboard, Dale enjoys riding on a bodyboard. Image: Julie Eggers/The Washington Post One sunny morning in 2023, Dale went to a beach in Oahu, Hawaii, to surf three-foot waves in the Pacific Ocean. To Dale, a French bulldog, it was just another day at the beach. But it became something else entirely: It was the moment Dale made his acting debut. Dale was filming a scene for the live-action 'Lilo & Stitch' movie, which opened at the box office recently. The scene shows Dale at the front of a surfboard for a few seconds, inspiring the character Stitch to surf in the film. Dale learned to skateboard a few months after he was born Image: Greg Dutcher/The Washington Post Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The movie is a remake of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who befriends a doglike alien, Stitch. Before Dale started surfing, he was already adept at paddleboarding and bodyboarding. He picked up surfing for the movie and quickly found his new favourite hobby. In the past two years, the 6-year-old has loved standing on a blue, 11-foot long surfboard with his owner, Greg Dutcher, at a Honolulu surfing spot. 'He gets mad when we take him out of the water,' said Julie Eggers, who takes care of Dale with Dutcher, her boyfriend. Dale enjoys surfing with his owner, Greg Dutcher. Image: The Washington Post After Dutcher bought Dale from a San Diego breeder in the spring of 2019, the French bulldog with a fawn and white coat learned to ride a small skateboard at tennis and basketball courts. He also enjoyed going to the beach - although he was initially scared of the water. Once he went in for the first time, he picked up swimming naturally and didn't want to leave. He now wears an orange life jacket. Dale became comfortable standing on Dutcher's paddleboard and also on a bodyboard to ride the waves. Beachgoers usually pull out their phones for photos and videos when they see Dale in the water. When Dutcher or Eggers take him out of the water, Dale often jumps back in and sometimes hops onto other boards so he can stay longer. Dale, who weighs 25 pounds, enjoys walks - but only at the beach. When Eggers tries to walk him around her neighbourhood, he stops after a bit and sits on the concrete. Dale hangs out with his stuffed Stitch doll on a beach in Hawaii. Image: Greg Dutcher/The Washington Post In the spring of 2023, Eggers said, she responded to an Instagram post from an animal trainer who was looking for a French bulldog comfortable in the water for a film or TV shoot. Eggers said she thought Dale would be in a commercial. Dutcher took Dale to a surfing spot in Waikiki, a Honolulu neighbourhood, to meet J. Tyler London, who trains dogs to ride on surfboards and paddleboards. Dale balanced on the surfboard on his first try. 'He's so fearless,' Eggers said. Eggers was shocked when she later learned that Dale would be in 'Lilo & Stitch.' Dale reminded Eggers of Stitch because he makes similar gravely, nasally noises, she said. Dale's owners bought him a stuffed Stitch doll. In June 2023, Dale and London rode a surfboard together while cameras, boom mics and other equipment recorded them in Oahu, Eggers said. While the production crew needed to film other scenes afterward, Eggers said, Dale wanted to stay in the ocean. Dale's love for surfing blossomed afterward. He competes in a Honolulu surfing competition - where people surf with their dogs on board - in August with Dutcher, 43. Last month, when Disney began releasing clips from 'Lilo & Stitch' on YouTube, Eggers often checked her phone for updates, hoping to see one that starred Dale. On May 8, she said she gasped when she saw a video of Stitch, sitting on a beach eating sand, watching Dale ride the surfboard with London. Eggers, 44, showed the footage to Dale, hoping he would recognize himself. Alas, he stood and walked away. Eggers and Dutcher watched the movie, including Dale's brief cameo surfing with London, at a local theatre when it came out. It made $145.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. On Monday, a beachgoer recognized Dale at a Honolulu beach. While Dale doesn't seem to care about his newfound notoriety, or the several seconds he shows off his surfing skills to the world, he does seem quite happy about the extra time it's afforded him on the water. Unbeknownst to Dale, his internet fame has even grown with dog lovers. Dutcher received messages from French bulldog owners who said their dogs were born from the same breeder and on the same day as Dale, meaning they might be related. When Eggers learned one of Dale's long-lost sisters is named Lilo, she figured Dale was meant to be in 'Lilo & Stitch.' 'It was destiny,' Eggers said.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Taking aid to Ukraine 'changed things inside me'
A man who has delivered aid to Ukraine four times said his experiences had "changed some things" inside him. Ian Russell, 35, from Coningsby, Lincolnshire, said he had supplied 20 tonnes (20,000kg) of aid to families, animals and people on the front line since his first trip in 2023. He said his deliveries had included long-life bread to troops, a washing machine in the city of Sumy, and aid to animal shelters. He is now appealing for help to get a new van after his previous vehicle broke down on his return from Sumy with driver Bob Dutcher on 18 April. Mr Russell works as a tour manager for musicians. He said he was homeless for three years from 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He decided to deliver aid in 2023 after seeing a BBC video about a girl trying to flee Ukraine. Carrying just a backpack, he flew to Krakow, in Poland, and then crossed the border to Lviv, in western Ukraine, to meet a friend and offer his help. "At this point I was just a guy that wanted to help. That cascaded into me meeting proper aid workers," he said. During his most recent trip, from 14 to 22 April, Mr Russell delivered aid across Ukraine in a van donated by the Kharkiv Satellite Rotary Club. He was joined by Mr Dutcher, an American former software executive, whom he had met on a previous trip. The pair delivered aid to a non-profit group in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine which has been hit by Russian missiles during the war. They also helped animal shelters and orphanages near Lviv and Kyiv, as well as rehabilitation and recovery facilities for soldiers. Mr Russell entered the country just a day after Ukrainian authorities said at least 34 people were killed and 117 injured, including 15 children, in a Russian missile attack on central Sumy. He said his experiences during the trip had "broken" him. "I had hours where I was just crying. Most of the time actually over really positive things." Watching people dancing and singing during an Easter parade "in effectively a war zone" was particularly moving. "This trip has definitely changed some things inside me," he added. "The joy in people's eyes just because they're getting a duvet or some cat food, I can't imagine what they go through." Mr Dutcher said the trip was "the most personally rewarding and impactful" thing he had done, while Mr Russell had "the biggest heart of anybody" he had met. Mr Russell is trying to raise about £4,000 for a van to use during future aid trips. "I just really hope we can get the money for the van and I can help a lot more," he added. "If that does not happen, I'll switch back to flying to Krakow with a backpack full of tourniquets, go to the frontline and hand them over myself." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. At least 34 people killed in Russian ballistic missile attack on Sumy 'If we hadn't moved, we'd be dead': Ukrainians describe moment Russian strikes hit Sumy Mum's pride as son joins Ukrainian war effort We're in it for long haul, hosts tell Ukrainians
BBC News
29-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Delivering aid to Ukraine 'changed things inside me'
A man who has delivered aid to Ukraine four times said his experiences had "changed some things" inside Russell, 35, from Coningsby, Lincolnshire, said he had supplied 20 tonnes (20,000kg) of aid to families, animals and people on the front line since his first trip in said his deliveries had included long-life bread to troops, a washing machine in the city of Sumy, and aid to animal is now appealing for help to get a new van after his previous vehicle broke down on his return from Sumy with driver Bob Dutcher on 18 April. Mr Russell works as a tour manager for musicians. He said he was homeless for three years from 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 decided to deliver aid in 2023 after seeing a BBC video about a girl trying to flee just a backpack, he flew to Krakow, in Poland, and then crossed the border to Lviv, in western Ukraine, to meet a friend and offer his help. "At this point I was just a guy that wanted to help. That cascaded into me meeting proper aid workers," he said. During his most recent trip, from 14 to 22 April, Mr Russell delivered aid across Ukraine in a van donated by the Kharkiv Satellite Rotary was joined by Mr Dutcher, an American former software executive, whom he had met on a previous pair delivered aid to a non-profit group in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine which has been hit by Russian missiles during the also helped animal shelters and orphanages near Lviv and Kyiv, as well as rehabilitation and recovery facilities for Russell entered the country just a day after Ukrainian authorities said at least 34 people were killed and 117 injured, including 15 children, in a Russian missile attack on central said his experiences during the trip had "broken" him. "I had hours where I was just crying. Most of the time actually over really positive things."Watching people dancing and singing during an Easter parade "in effectively a war zone" was particularly moving. "This trip has definitely changed some things inside me," he added. "The joy in people's eyes just because they're getting a duvet or some cat food, I can't imagine what they go through."Mr Dutcher said the trip was "the most personally rewarding and impactful" thing he had done, while Mr Russell had "the biggest heart of anybody" he had Russell is trying to raise about £4,000 for a van to use during future aid trips."I just really hope we can get the money for the van and I can help a lot more," he added."If that does not happen, I'll switch back to flying to Krakow with a backpack full of tourniquets, go to the frontline and hand them over myself." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
CBC
30-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
One woman's quest to save her Wolastoqey language
In 2022, Lisa Perley-Dutcher, a longtime nurse and health professional, opened the first and only Wolastoqey immersion school in Fredericton. Since then, 18 students have attended Kekhimin, currently based in a temporary space at the Killarney Lake Rotary Lodge. Growing up, Perley-Dutcher attended a day school at Neqotkuk (Tobique) First Nation, where children suffered physical and emotion abuse, including being strapped if they spoke their own language. In her mind, this connected her language with pain and she avoided speaking it while growing up. Relearning her language as an adult has helped her address "those traumas," she said. Establishing her immersion school has been a way to turn the tables. Fewer than 100 people speak Wolastoqey fluently and most are elders, so this is a way to keep the language from disappearing. Perley-Dutcher, a registered nurse for 30 years, said that the deaths of older family members caused her to realize the importance of language preservation, which she called a vital aspect of health. She spent her whole career working in community health nursing to improve health outcomes for First Nations people, including setting up a national home care program called First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care, and serving as the president of the Indigenous Nurses Association of Canada. While leading that association, her focus was to create a mandate to provide culturally competent care to Indigenous communities, which included spearheading the "first Aboriginal nursing initiative" program at UNB, she said, called Nutsihpiluwewicik, to provide a bridge for First Nations people to enter the profession. "My career has been very much focused on health," Perley-Dutcher said. "I did my masters on cultural competency and cultural safety, I've done some work with communities in terms of looking at racism and how to deal with that, setting up patient navigators in our healthcare system." In 2021, she graduated from a language program St. Thomas University. "I took a two-year language intensive program on Wolastoqey and after I finished that, me and some of my fellow students, we set up a language immersion program," she said. She said that she directly connects Indigenous health to all elements of Indigenous life, including language. "I feel like this also is addressing a health outcome in terms of identity, in terms of mental health and self worth and the whole process of reclaiming language in itself." Perley-Dutcher's son, Jeremy Dutcher, is an award-winning musician. His career is devoted to revitalizing Wolastoqey culture through music, and his first album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, was entirely in the Wolastoqey language. Dutcher, who is based in Montreal, said that this was because it was his first language and "our young people didn't have music in our language." "When we enter a room, we're going to introduce ourselves in our language first," Dutcher said. "And so for me, I was like, 'it's got to be rooted within a cultural place.' If you're going to introduce yourself, you've got to do it properly." The language was something that Dutcher was familiar with from his childhood but he taught himself to read and write it when studying music and anthropology at Dalhousie University. He credits his mother for his focus on language and culture and says that, because of that, he's "been trying to shout about Kehkimin from the rooftops." Dutcher said that his involvement with Kehkimin intensified during the early stages of the pandemic, when concerts and live performances stopped. He was forced to think about the deeper significance of his music, which "is to talk about the language." Now, Dutcher works with teachers on language development and pays visits to the school whenever he's in Fredericton to meet with and encourage the students. Dutcher said that intergenerational commitments like his and his mother's are vital. When the older generation gathers, they often speak together in Wolastoqey. Some even still speak the language at family gatherings, where younger generations can't understand, making it clear how much has been lost. Because of this, he said it's important to have a strong connection between youth and elders, "weaving together those generational ties because there's so much that we can learn from each other." Perley-Dutcher said Kehkimin has been supported by the province but lost significant funding in recent cuts. In 2023, funding received from New Brunswick's Environmental Trust Fund was cut from $85,000 to $35,000. She said that government funding is essential and they suffer greatly without it. "We're trying to save a language here," she said. "It's vitally important that it happens now, or it's not going to happen." Because of funding cuts, the school has had to reduce its hours to half days and reduce the number of teachers they hire. Perley-Dutcher said it is hard to run the school without a permanent space. Though Kehkimin has use of the Killarney Lake Rotary Lodge and a nearby house, they are leased spaces for $1 a year. Though she praised the city's generosity, she said that they have had difficulty securing funding for renovations to the house, which must be renovated before use, without ownership, She also said the cuts mean that the school now has just six staff members making it hard to juggle the day-to-day operations, write funding applications, and provide safe, quality education for the students. But Perley-Dutcher said she appreciates the funding that they still do receive because it allows them to continue. "So, I am grateful for that. The city has been very generous to us." The City of Fredericton gave the school a three-year lease of Killarney Lodge for $1 per year, and a 10-year lease on a nearby house, which needs renovation before being used. Kekhimin is currently trying to raise funds for this renovation. Despite the difficulty of the work, Perley-Dutcher said that it has been tremendous for her. "It's probably the hardest work I've done so far in my career. I get very little sleep. I put a lot into it and our team puts a lot into it," she said. "It's good though. It's good for the soul. My healing has occurred … it's such a wonderful gift that I've been given to be able to do this work."
