Nakhla Dog Meteorites, Meteorites for Sale, Meteorite

TEXAS DOG FINDS ROCK FROM OUTER SPACE

From the wrong side of the tracks, this canine has earned a celestial pardon.

As meteorite hunters from around the world descended upon the small rural town of West, Texas to compete for rights to search land after the February 15th fireball over Austin , it seems a local pooch also got in on the action.

Hopper, a stray boarder collie, had recently settled in West at the home of Pauline Alligood and Mitch Bynum, much to their chagrin. No one knew where she came from or why she settled there but what they did know was that Hopper was headed for trouble. From chasing cars to stealing property and messing up the neighbor's yards, Hopper had worn out her welcome. “I made plans to get the dog gone on Thursday noon.” Bynum said, “Luckily they fell through. The next day the call came…”

The call was from meteorite hunter Ruben Garcia who was seeking permission to hunt the land behind the Alligood/Bynum home when his hunting companion, Sonny Clary, saw a two ounce meteorite sitting on the porch. With a little work they reached Alligood by phone at the car dealership where she works. “Did you know you have a meteorite on your porch?” said Garcia. “You mean the rock that Hopper found” replied Alligood.

“Ruben found the meteorite on the porch and the rest is history” Pauline Alligood

In the end the stone was purchased by Portland, Oregon collector Rob Wesel who runs a website named after a dog reportedly struck by a meteorite in 1911. “To own a meteorite recovered by a dog…well it doesn't get much better than that." said Wesel. "This is without a doubt the most famous stone of the West, Texas meteorite fall and Hopper has a place in the history books.” Wesel, who searched several days alongside Hopper in the field added “Hopper has become a mascot for this fall. She's the first dog in history to ever recover a meteorite!”