Where is Fielding Marshall today? His career and family
Netflix’s Dog Gone tells an incredible story about an unbreakable bond between Fielding Marshall and his best friend, a dog named Gonker. During a hike on the Appalachian Trail, Fielding and his best friend allow Gonker to chase a fox, leading to the mutt’s disappearance.
Marshall’s family, including his businessman father, John Marshall, who feels aggrieved by his son’s life and career choices, starts searching for Gonker. The search party has a limited time to find Gonker: the dog must take medication for Addison’s disease in 19 days.
Marshall, having almost given up on finding his beloved dog, eventually reunites with Gonker, 111 miles away from the Appalachian Trail.
Fielding Marshall lives in Chile with his wife and two children
Dog Gone is based on the true story of Gonker’s two-week disappearance in October 1998. Paul Toutonghi, Marshall’s brother-in-law, chronicled the tale in his 2016 book Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home, which the filmmakers used as source material.
Fielding Marshall lives in Chile with his wife, Soma Maia, and their two children, a girl and a boy. Marshall moved to Brazil in 2005 before leaving for Peru and ultimately settling in Chile, where he met Soma.
The pair’s Instagram pages show the family attended Dog Gone’s premiere. Since the film dropped, Marshall has posted several throwback photos of Gonker. One photo shows him in bed cuddling with Gonker shortly after their reunion.
“Back at home safe and sound hugging Gonker after him being away for so many days,” Fielding captioned the post.
Maia and Marshall run a retreat center in Chile dubbed Mystic Retreats. The website claims that retreat regenerates and energizes the body, mind, and soul. Some techniques include breathwork, meditation, Egyptian Alchemy, and yoga.
“Come play with us through song, chat, painting and primal clay, awakening and liberating the child within,” Mystic retreat’s website reads. “Enter into the magic world of Dream-time through Sacred Plants and Spirit Journeys.”
Gonker died five years after his disappearance and homecoming
Gonker lived another five years before dying in 2003, aged 11. Two years later, Marshall left Virginia for the jungles of South America. His Instagram page shows that the Marshall family has several pets, including a dog named Marley.
Tragedy brought Marshall and Gonker together. In 1991, Marshall’s daughter died on the operation table while undergoing heart surgery. Overcome with grief, Marshall’s girlfriend up and vanished without a word.
Having lost two of his loved ones, Marshall felt like he was drowning in an ‘oceanic wave of sadness’. He opined that a dog would bring him some joy, so he headed to the local SPCA and got a golden retriever mix he named Gonker.
The playful Gonker helped fill the void in Marshall’s heart. Gonker had Addison’s disease, which could cause a coma if left unmanaged. Therefore, Gonker received monthly injections of hormones to stay alive.
After Gonker vanished, Marshall’s mom called animal hospitals, police stations, and newspapers for information regarding the dog’s whereabouts. Marshall and his father put up fliers and walked the trail calling Gonker’s name. Local media also picked up the story.
Each passing day eroded the family’s hope. Seeming out of the blue, a police officer called Marshall’s mother 15 days after Gonker went missing to report that the dog was spotted behind a ski resort 111 miles away.
Man and dog were reunited in Wintergreen, Virginia. Incredibly, Gonker had gained one pound during his trek across Virginia. The only evidence of Gonker’s epic journey was the cuts on his paws.
