Farewell to Dammit The Wonderdog

photos by Scott Beale

We’ve lost a great friend and member of our community, Chicken John’s faithful companion Dammit The Wonderdog, also know as Dammitina Dawoo, who has left us after 19 1/2 years on this earth. All of us are really going to miss you Dammit Dog.

Chicken John wrote about on Dammit’s passing on his blog, here’s an excerpt:

My heart is shrouded in grief. But how could it be any different? Chaos brought her to me, and through me… to you. We were all fortunate to have met this animal who I watched people CHEER for. CHEER! Like it was your kid in the fucking Olympics. I’ve watched people’s faith restored in the show watching this animal do her tricks with no script and no training. She was a natural. Dammit has graced the covers of magazines dozens of times. Posters. Thousands of t-shirts. She had a friggin’ theme song. People fawned over her like a newborn. An entire language crafted to like baby-talk with the entire circus reciting it. “Da da da da woo woo woo.” Her last name is what we called that language: Dawoo. A bizarre Steve Miller referene from the song Go On Take The Money And Run. Her original name she ignored, finally responding to the curse that would escape my lips when I would catch her being bad as a teenager. “Dammit dog!!!” I would say looking at the garbage can knocked over. “Dammit dog!!!!” I would shout as I would chase her down when she escaped from the yard. “Dammit dog!!!” I said one day as she was eating a pair of Danny’s panties. And she came to me like I called her. And came to me every time after that. Named herself, basically. She was put on the Earth to make your day. And she did just that, over and over again. Every day. She was an enchanted creature. Her passing leaves us poorer. Impoverished. Destitute. And will leave in me a hollowness that I will never be able to fill.

Dammitina was a Showdog. The dog of a Showman. We did it together. All of it. This is her curtain.

Our thoughts are with you Chicken, it’s sad to think that Dammit is no longer with us.

Services for Dammitina will be held at Chicken’s warehouse Monday, July 20th from 7-10. Her final resting place will be Tracey and Don’s backyard in Richmond.

UPDATE 1: Puzzling Evidence TV just posted video of one of Dammit’s last performances on stage at the age of 18.

UPDATE 2: Here are a few photos I shot at Dammit’s memorial and funeral. Dammit finally made it through the hoop.

Here Are A Few Related Posts You Might Enjoy:

- Circus Redickuless Reunion Show in Honor of Dammit

- Farewell To Ace Auto, San Francisco’s Most Unique Event Space

- Farewell Jack Davis, A Friend of the SF Arts Community

- Don LaFontaine, Farewell To The Voice of Movie Trailers

- George Carlin 1937-2008, Farewell to the Class Clown

filed under Animals