A hound the world in 80 days: Meet Oscar, the canine globe-trotting sensation

Oscar is a dog without equal. This year, he travelled across an incredible five continents, 29 countries and stopped off everywhere from the Eiffel Tower to the Taj Mahal.

He was rescued from a South African kennel by Joanne Lefson, who is half-British, five years ago. In May the pair began an epic journey hoping to inspire millions to help save his fellow canines living as strays on the streets. After dodging crocodile-infested rivers, walking on the Great Wall of China and escaping Italian police, Oscar finally finished his tour last week.

The £250,000 six-month trip  -  which Joanne funded by selling her home  -  also took in an amazing 15,000 shelter dogs and more than 50 charity-run rescue centres. On their worldwide travels, Joanne and Oscar also handed out 15,000 dog leads to needy hounds donated by the parcel company UPS. 

macchu picchu

I've arrived at the woof of the world: Oscar the dog in Machu Picchu, Peru. In six months, he visited 29 countries  on five continents

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Nepal in a day's work: Oscar and his owner, Joanne Lefson, join the Kathmandu tusk force

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Just call me the Eiffel terrier

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Topple that: Posing for a Pisa portrait in Italy

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An Oscar-winning pose: Star billing beneath the Hollywood sign

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So much Russian around... a rest in Red Square

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I'm knee-high to a Masai on the plains of Kenya

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Thirsty work, this sightseeing: Where can a Giza get a drink around here?

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Can you hear the echo? Must be the Swiss yelps

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Hello, me old China: A Peke at the Great Wall

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We loved the Himalayas... but that mountain camel gave me the right hump

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Wonder dog... lolling about outside the Taj Mahal in Delhi

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Torch and go but we've reached New York

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Who's yellow? A Costa Rican 'copter ride was all in my stride

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Snout and about... Joanne and I tipped our hats to Thailand

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We made it! End of the road in Rio

LIST OF COUNTRIES IN FULL

May
South Africa
Botswana
Namibia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Tanzania
Kenya
Egypt

June
Greece
Turkey
Bulgaria
Romania
Hungary
Croatia
Italy

July
Switzerland
France
Russia

August
India

September
Thailand

October
Cambodia
Malaysia
China

October/November
USA (California, New York, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Florida)

November
Puerto Rico
Costa Rica
Peru

November/December
Argentina

December
Brazil