Dog Names Ending in el

Were you among the millions who were touched by the movie Titanic ? The story line about a few of the lives of the people in the movie certainly captivated millions of us, albeit some of it dripped with literary license to be sure.  While the movie had a fair amount of history intertwined in the story, there are some not so well publicized facts and stories which will capture your heart and take your breath away as well.  Our first featured famous pop culture dog with a name ending in 'el' fits into this category.  Rigel, a black Newfoundland, is rumored to have been a relatively unsung hero from the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  While the story that has been told is certainly a heartwarming, tear-jerker, there is some dispute still today as to whether it is myth or reality, truth or contrived fiction.  Nonetheless, because the natural instincts, behavioral traits and physical capabilities of the Newfoundland breed lend themselves to the tale being true, the story begs to be told yet again.  

Rigel, as the story goes, belonged to one of the crew members, specifically, first officer Murdoch, who went down with the ship.  Rigel, on the other hand, survived and found himself in the water, desperately searching for his beloved master.  When, at long last, Rigel realized he was unsuccessful in his search, he swam up to and remained alongside life boat number 4.  He swam alongside the life boat for what was said to have been about three hours, in freezing water.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the physical characteristics of the Newfoundland breed, they are bred to withstand very cold temperatures for extended periods of time, having a coat which is water repellent and a temperature control system similar to that of polar bears, which enables them to retrieve fish (and sometimes people) from the icy waters of the North Atlantic. 

Getting back to the story, the RMS Carpathia came to the rescue of the survivors. Life boat number 4, filled with weakened and desperate survivors, drifted dangerously close the starboard bow of the ship.  Being severely weakened from the experience and the icy wind and waters, the survivors were unable to shout loud enough to alert the very slow moving ship of their presence almost beneath the bow of the ship.  It is said that it was the sharp barking of Rigel which got the attention of Captain Rostron, who immediately ordered the ship's engines to be stopped, enabling the rescue of the occupants of the life boat as well as Rigel.  It is also told that Rigel survived the experience, was adopted by one of the crew members of the RMS Carpathia and lived out his life in Scotland without having to face frigid water again.