Missouri Chihuahua and offspring hit the silver screen

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- When Rhoda Hewett bought her Chihuahua pup, Rocky, three years ago she knew he had a championship bloodline. But she had no idea he was going to be a movie star.

Not just Rocky, but four of his offspring are featured in the recently released "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," the No. 1 box office attraction the first two weeks of October. The movie has grossed nearly $60 million worldwide.

Hewett, office manager for Midway Electric contractors, likes to post pictures of Rocky and her other dogs on her website, blackberrybabies.com. Two years ago, she got a phone call from a Hollywood animal trainer, Mike Alexander.

The call caught Hewett by surprise. The Boone County resident told Alexander she was "just a little country woman out here in the middle of Nowhere, Mo." But he told her, "Your Chihuahuas have what Disney is looking for."

Alexander has movie credits such as such as "101 Dalmatians," the "Dr. Doolittle" movies and the tear-jerker "Eight Below." He told her he was especially smitten with her white pooch, Avalanche, and wanted to buy him. That became the link between Hewett's other dogs and the big screen.

Avalanche became one of four dogs in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" portraying Chloe, a character with the voice of Drew Barrymore. Except for subtleties, it's hard to tell the four dogs apart.

Avalanche was flown to his new home near Hollywood in January. Rocky and three offspring -- C.J., ToPo Gigo and Lil' Buddy -- made the trip in the summer.

Hewett's canine companions were gone for three long months as the movie was filmed in Mexico.

Initially, Rocky and C.J. were to have "speaking" roles, and they were to be adorned in armor with a full headdress. The Hollywood writers' strike, however, resulted in script and casting changes. Hewett said Rocky had been cast for the role of Monty but lost out in the script shuffle to another dog that Hewett suspects had better "connections."

In one scene, her perky pups are seen as sentry dogs at the bottom of an Aztec pyramid.

Her four dogs' time in showbiz ended in fall 2007.

Hewett attended the movie's premier in O'Fallon, Ill., accompanied by Rocky. Invitations were mailed bearing Rocky's "pawtagraph." Before the screening, Rocky helped raise $150 for the local animal shelter by posing for photos with moviegoers for $5 each.

But Rocky missed the screening, barred because of an insurance stipulation.

Hewett said she didn't reap a financial windfall by selling Avalanche or "renting" her four dogs to the production company. Her standard of living in Rocheport, with grandson Cody, is about the same as it was before Hollywood called for her pets.

These days, Rocky and his boys compete for attention and are fascinated with Hewett's horses.

Whether he's at home or in Hollywood, Hewett said, Rocky has her heart.

When trainer Dave Sousa returned Rocky last fall, Hewett said he cried over leaving Rocky.

"I could have named my price," Hewett recalled. "Dave loved that dog."

But there was no price on her love for Rocky. Hewett said, "No way. That's my sleeping buddy. I love that boy."