Dale's trip to the beach for debut movie

FRENCH BULLDOG

- WEEKEND ARGUS REPORTER

ONE sunny morning in 2023, Dale went to a beach in Oahu, Hawaii, to surf three-foot waves in the Pacific Ocean.

To Dale, a French bulldog, it was just another day at the beach. But it became something else entirely: It was the moment Dale made his acting debut.

Dale was filming a scene for the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, which opened at the box office recently. The scene shows Dale at the front of a surfboard for a few seconds, inspiring the character Stitch to surf in the film.

The movie is a remake of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who befriends a doglike alien, Stitch. Before Dale started surfing, he was already adept at paddleboarding and bodyboarding. He picked up surfing for the movie and quickly found his new favourite hobby.

In the past two years, the 6-year-old has loved standing on a blue, 11-foot long surfboard with his owner, Greg Dutcher, at a Honolulu surfing spot.