Endurance Inspired Dog Names

Ecuador is a country with a large number of stray dogs that subsist in the streets off of scraps that they steal from the garbage or vendors. Most homeless canines have a hard time in the country and barely survive. They usually die young and untimely deaths.

In 2014, a Swedish extreme sports team came to Ecuador to compete in the Ecuadorian Adventure Racing World Championship. Mikael Lindnord was the leader of the four-person team known as the Team Peak Performance. The world-class athletes would be competing for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the heart of the rough and extreme Amazon rainforest. 

Before setting out on their sporting adventure, Mikael met a sad street dog. He offered the hungry animal a canned meatball. After consuming the treasured morsel of food, the grateful dog started to follow Mikael. In fact, the dog followed them during the entire race through some of the roughest physical conditions in the world. The canine refused to leave Mikael's side, even when the dog became embedded in mud and had to be hauled out of the death trap. When the team reached the ocean kayaking segment of the race, the street pooch jumped right into the ocean and started to swim beside the kayakers. Mikael was concerned that the dog would drown so he hauled him into the kayak. Unfortunately, the pup saw some tasty fish and decided to jump back into the water for a fast meal which delayed the racing team. 

The stray canine was loyal to Mikael without a fault. Mikael named the dog Arthur after the famous King Arthur of Great Britain and the knights of the round table. When the race ended, Mikael was unwilling to leave Arthur. The team of athletes quickly started to raise money using Twitter to bring the pooch home. They received assistance from the Ecuadorian Minister for Social Affairs. They also petitioned for permission to bring the dog home from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Mikael was eventually allowed to bring Arthur home to Sweden. Upon arrival in Europe, the dog required veterinary care for his many wounds that he had sustained as a street dog as well as a session of dental surgery. He was also quarantined for 120 days which was mandated by Sweden for all canines entering the country. 

Mikael found out that Arthur was approximately seven years old. He quickly adapted to life as Mikael's pet and companion. In May of 2015, Arthur was in good enough shape to pair up with the team for the Wings for Life World Run held in Kalmar. A charity known as Arthur's Foundation was also founded to help the street dogs throughout Ecuador. They plan on assisting with food and veterinary care. Mikael also co-wrote a book about Arthur.