REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE A WALK AROUND THE WORLD New Jerseyan Tom Turcich and his four-legged companion, Savannah, spent seven years walking 25 miles a day in their record-breaking journey around the globe. PHOTOS: (IMAGE) CREDIT; (IMAGE) CREDIT; (IMAGE) CREDIT 6 NorthStarVETS ® .com
REAL PETS, REAL PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF TOM TURCICH A dream come true—that’s how a young, healthy dog might feel about the prospect of taking an eighthour, 25-mile walk each day for seven years. In the case of a buff-colored beauty named Savannah, she not only got to fulfill that dream, but, in doing so, set a world record as the first known canine to complete a trot around the globe—which she did with Haddon Township resident Tom Turcich, who had adopted Savannah. Savannah might also be considered one of the luckiest dogs ever. Found abandoned in puppyhood in a Texas ditch, she was taken to a nearby animal shelter where she was promptly placed on a euthanasia list due to her imperfect health. But the Lone Star State happens to be home to a no-kill shelter called Austin <strong>Pets</strong> Alive! (APA!), which routinely takes in unwanted animals from overcrowded rescue organizations and finds them loving homes. Soon after Savannah’s arrival at APA!, Tom, a 26-year-old adventurer from Camden County, showed up miles from his native Garden State, seeking a dog for companionship and protection as he continued his long-planned worldwide trek. He’d walked for about five months before reaching Austin, where he immediately bonded with this easygoing, affectionate, highly intelligent rescue pup. No one, of course, knew her background, but Tom says she’s “just a mutt with all sorts of breeds.” He says he named her Savannah for three reasons: his love for that Southern city, her color (like that of an African savanna), and because he “just liked the sound of it!” APA! had already spayed her, but she and Tom spent about three more weeks in Austin so he could have her vaccinated and treated by a veterinarian for her mange, cough and upper respiratory infection. When Tom and Savannah embarked on their walk together, he pushed the pooch in a baby carriage until she was old enough to keep up with him. The carriage also included essentials for the duo such as a tent, camera, laptop, water and food. Tom Turcich became the tenth person on record to circle the globe on foot. His 25,000-mile adventure with Savannah covered six continents and 38 countries. His motivation? Tragic accidents had claimed the lives of two dear friends, Ann Marie Lynch and Shannon Newell, both from his Haddon Township hometown. Their untimely deaths when the three were teens drove home to Tom the realization that “I could die at any moment myself, and I want to experience the world before leaving it.” Setting out with a positive outlook on humanity, Tom discovered that the vast majority of people around the world are loving and compassionate, quick to lend a hand and slow to anger. “Thousands of people worldwide helped Savannah and me,” he says. “We were offered places to sleep, meals, interesting conversation, encouragement and moral support, among many other kindnesses. I always kept in mind that I was a guest in other people’s countries. For that, I was repaid many times over.” This is not to imply that Tom and Savannah didn’t encounter their fair share of challenges. He says they were held up at knifepoint in Panama, and they nearly froze RESTING FEET (& PAWS) Tom Turcich and Savannah in Angoulême, France, during their walk around the world. while camping in South America. Both man and dog also nearly lost their lives to illnesses developed during their travels. In Scotland, Tom began suffering from severe abdominal pain that required hospitalization in London and forced him to return home for a month to recover from what turned out to be a bacterial infection. “My doctors never figured out what it was,” he notes. “I was close to death before the right antibiotics were found to treat the infection.” For Savannah, a bite from a Peruvian tick resulted in a bleeding disorder. “We were a five-hour cab drive away from a veterinarian when her nose started bleeding,” Tom recalls. “We had to cross a desert and finally reached the vet hospital in northern Chile. They knew right away what it was, something called canine ehrlichiosis, a common reaction to a certain type of tick. The vet put Savannah on an antibiotic and B vitamins to get her platelets back up.” But nothing stopped Tom and Savannah from completing their travels. “I never seriously considered ending the walk,” he says. Over the seven-year journey, Tom wore out 45 pairs of Brooks Cascadia trail shoes donated by the company, which mailed the shoes to predetermined sites. Bob Mehmet, president and CEO of Philadelphia Signs, headquartered in Palmyra, Burlington County, was Tom’s primary sponsor for the trip. Surrounded by family, friends and other supporters, Tom and Savannah triumphantly crossed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from Philly to New Jersey in May of 2022, arriving home. An enthusiastic crowd greeted them at an outdoors welcome-home celebration at the Tap Room & Grill in Tom’s hometown. After a couple of months together with relieved family and friends, the duo moved to Seattle to be with Tom’s girlfriend, Bonnie Snyder, a medical student Tom had met there in September 2021 on his way home from Kyrgyzstan. Meeting Bonnie was another dream come true for Tom. “The effects of denying myself close bonds for six years was beginning to warp me,” he wrote in his journal. The trio, plus Bonnie’s dog Cleo (a black version of Savannah, Tom points out) currently live in Cincinnati, where she is a medical resident planning a career as a physician in a hospital emergency room. As Tom works on a book and gives public talks arranged by his agent, a documentary television series on his walk around the world is also in the works. Tom is content to forgo 25-mile-a-day walks from now on, but Savannah would “still love to walk that far,” her human bestie says. “But our limit these days is about four miles. Savannah is eight now, 56 in human years, so maybe she’s enjoying slowing down.” —Barbara Leap Pet Perspective 7
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