The cameraman’s best friend

Fri., Feb. 17, 2006

The Spokesman-Review

From stray to star, Hollywood’s latest success story began on the streets of Knoxville, Tenn.

The Alaskan malamute named Troika (above) “was pretty hungry, pretty skinny and in pretty rough shape when he was brought here,” says Tim Adams, executive director of the Young-Williams Animal Center.

Some TLC brought him back to health. Then Troika caught the attention of Hollywood trainer Mike Alexander, who was in Tennessee on a casting call for the new Disney film “Eight Below,” about eight sled dogs abandoned in Antarctica during a storm.

“He was looking for a dog who would pay attention to him, who was very responsive and he thought that they could train,” said Sidney Sachs, president of Sleddog Rescue of Tennessee.

Troika fit the bill and won the role of Shadow in the film opening today.

At a sneak preview, Sachs couldn’t contain himself.

“I kept standing up and yelling, ‘That’s my dog!’ ” he says. “People around me were going, ‘Get that nut out of here.’ “

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