Happy News

She Ditched Everything To Travel the World With Her Dog

For most of her life, Heike Pirngruber avoided dogs completely. But everything changed in Baja, California when a gentle stray named Max opened her heart. That moment led her to adopt Butch, a neglected Australian cattle dog who would become her best friend and travel companion.

Since then, the former German TV camerawoman has journeyed through 104 countries alongside Butch, using motorbikes, canoes, and even a tuk-tuk to explore. Together they’ve traversed the Americas and much of Europe, chasing adventure and connection while carrying only the bare essentials. Pirngruber says she chooses her direction day by day, guided by instinct and the open road. Her once fearful heart now belongs fully to a dog who knows nothing but the rhythm of nomadic life. “Butch is my best friend,” she says—and their next stop might be India or Mongolia.

From fear to deep friendship, their story is a reminder that love often finds us when we least expect it, and sometimes changes everything.