Work Text:
⦿Family①👩👧👦
Rex’s biological family situation is unknown. He was adopted by Tammy Turbot at a very young age and has lived with the Turbots for as long as he can remember. Tammy’s husband was also an archaeologist. He passed away in a field expedition accident before their daughter Taylor was born (Tammy named their daughter after him).
As he grew older, Rex realized he had no blood relation to this human family, but that didn’t matter—the Turbots had already considered him one of their own. He calls Tammy "Mom," Taylor "Little Sister," and refers to Horatio and Francois as "Uncle".
Horatio is very fond of his nephew. He once took Rex out to sea but discovered that the boy gets seasick, so he had to give up on that idea. Both of them enjoy concepts, wordplay, and alliteration.
(In all my previous fan works, I never portrayed their habit of alliteration… I’m not sure how to convey that in a Chinese context.)
Taylor shares more interests with Francois, though she also enjoys alliteration. Both Rex and Taylor take after their mother in their love for dinosaurs—Rex focuses on studying them, while Taylor enjoys naming them and interacting with them. Compared to the more serious Horatio, she finds it easier to talk with Francois.
I don’t know much about Tilly Turbot and her husband yet; maybe I’ll add more later. Tilly is a lovely old lady.
The Turbot family has a genetic trait of small eyes and thick glasses, but Rex doesn't. Although his appearance has nothing in common with his family members (though when walking down the street, his wheelchair draws more attention than any facial differences), he is already a full-fledged Turbot.
⦿Disability♿
We all know this is one of Rex’s most defining characteristics, even in the official series where he gets relatively little development. Due to the limitations of being a children’s animated show and various other reasons, we can’t get much background information from the TV series.
In this semi-anthropomorphic fan creation, the interpretation and understanding of the characters lean more toward "humanization," so explanations of physiological functions will be more human-like. Since I’m not a professional, please forgive any mistakes.
In another AU, I wrote about a human boy Rex’s experience—a car accident causing a thoracolumbar spinal cord injury. But from the official series’ perspective, it might be hip dysplasia, a common condition in Bernese Mountain Dogs (inferred from the breed). However, based on the upcoming movie’s new setting, I personally think the possibility of an external injury is higher. As for this setting, I considered everything from spinal cord injuries to genetic disorders and ultimately decided to give him a childhood where he could run freely in the Dino Wilds.(It was also during this time that Horatio took him on a boat.)
At the age of ten (before joining the PAW Patrol), our good friend Rex’s condition started to worsen. Due to strong genetic factors, his legs would occasionally feel numb and weak, but at first, it didn’t affect his daily life much, so he didn’t pay attention to it. Later, a severe illness completely took away the function of his legs. Despite seeking medical help everywhere, there was no cure.(I’m sorry, Rexy…)
⦿Joining the Team🐾
Rex joined the team relatively late, though earlier than Liberty, who joined at14. In the early days, the PAW Patrol was just a team of seven- or eight-year-olds, mainly responsible for helping the mayor find pet and assisting kids with their backpacks and lunch boxes. At family gatherings, Rex would occasionally hear about their adventures from his two uncles. At that time, he never imagined that a few years later, he would become one of them.
A few years later, the kids had grown up a bit and started taking on real rescue missions, gaining fame. Meanwhile, Rex was adapting to life in a wheelchair, which left him feeling quite depressed.
His family, of course, didn’t want him to shut himself in his room all day, so Horatio reached out to Ryder for help. For a while after that, Ryder often visited Rex in the Dino Wild to chat with him, help him with rehabilitation exercises, and tell him stories about the PAW Patrol. Through Ryder, Rex got to know the kids at headquarters, who were around his age. He admired their lives and began to believe that even if he couldn’t walk, he could still do something meaningful—like rescue work.
For both Rex and the other PAW Patrol kids, his joining was a huge surprise. That day, Ryder drove him to Adventure Bay, where he wore a brand-new uniform and zoomed around his new teammates in a wheelchair customized by Ryder, circling them again and again.
In the team, besides being the backbone of PAW Patrol rescue missions, he also works in animal rescue, jungle rescues with Tracker, and "technical work" with Rocky.(Is there anything he’s not good at?) He is skilled in using and innovating assistive tools.
⦿Wheelchair🦽
In the official series, our little Rex uses a wheeled cart. His first appearance, where he sped around in it, captured my heart and made me fall for this character.
Exoskeletons can’t achieve the durability and speed needed for rescue missions, so the wheelchair is Rex’s first choice for missions and daily mobility. He only uses an exoskeleton at home or at headquarters when he’s with people he trusts, and even then, he can’t use it for too long at a time. His vehicle has a special ramp for him to get in and out and space for his foldable wheelchair.
Based on the wheelchair Ryder gave him, he added a bunch of small accessories—rearview mirrors, trays, mesh bags, etc.—making it look full and busy. And, of course, there are dinosaur stickers (pretty much all of his personal items that can be stickered are covered in them).
At first, the little ones were curious about his wheelchair but didn’t dare to ask. Once they got closer, they became less reserved around each other. I’m pretty sure Zuma started it—he asked Rex if he could try out his wheelchair. Meanwhile, Chase and Rocky looked like they wanted to kill him. After getting permission, Zuma lifted Rex onto a chair and tried the wheelchair himself. Eventually, all the kids gave it a try, including our serious boy Chase. It was also then that they learned more about Rex’s story.
Later, Rex met Tracker and proactively asked if he wanted to try his wheelchair, which startled him.
Rex has an electric wheelchair but doesn’t use it often. Unless he asks for help, he doesn’t like being pushed around.
⦿Autism (?)🌟
As far as I know, the official series hasn’t explicitly stated this, but many fan works include this trait. Some of his behaviors in the show seem indicative of autism, while others don’t. I’ve read some reference books on the topic but still can’t say for sure.
Based on my personal experience, he doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about socializing unless the other person is willing to talk about dinosaurs—meaning there’s "value in information exchange." He speaks directly and sometimes doesn’t "read the room." But he loves his family and teammates deeply and is patient with dinosaurs and other animals. He tries hard to understand others’ emotions and realizes when he’s said something wrong, feeling sorry about it.
He enjoys using body language and expresses love through hugs. At first, he even kissed his new friends, and it took him a long time to realize not everyone is comfortable with that. Sometimes, when he doesn’t feel like talking, he uses a tablet’s speech function or gestures instead.
He likes precision and order, organizing everything from encyclopedias to dinosaur stickers into categories. If plans are disrupted, he becomes anxious and restless. He dislikes strong smells and sharp noises, so he doesn’t often visit places like barbershops or restaurants (not that there are any in the Dino Wilds anyway). The first time he went to Adventure City for a team-building night, he nearly went crazy.
He enjoys wordplay and alliterative humor, though not everyone always gets it. In such cases, he might repeat himself several times (until he feels the other person has heard him).
Oh, and he also experiences anxiety and overthinking. Most of the time, he’s a gentle, slightly shy, and slow-to-warm-up kid—unless you’re really close to him.
⦿Friends①🗣️
Compared to the boys, Rex might spend more time with the girls. After all, he can’t participate in most physical activities. Of course, everyone joins in for things like soccer, tag, and tug-of-war, but the boys usually spend their free time running around and causing mischief. Zuma once convinced him to be a goalkeeper, and in that game, no one dared to kick the ball toward the goal.
Rex has relatively long hair, almost long enough to tie up, so Skye loves to style it. He doesn’t mind. The four of them often have tea parties together, and sometimes Marshall and Rubble join in (Rubble mainly comes for the snacks).
He met Skye early on, and since they often work together in rescue missions, they quickly became close. Later, he met Everest at Jake’s Mountain. Since they live nearby and share common interests, they often visit each other’s homes. Meeting Liberty came later—one day, he gave her a tour of the Dino Wilds, and they had a great time.
After that one time as a goalkeeper, Rex never wanted to take his wheelchair onto a soccer field again. Instead, he took over as referee for Ryder. He’s great at tug-of-war and arm wrestling, with Chase being his only real competition.
⦿Clothing👕
Rex’s clothing style is all about comfort and convenience. In reality, he doesn’t care much about how he looks. If Tammy doesn’t remind him, he might wear the same outfit for days on end—quite the slob.
His wardrobe, aside from work clothes and uniforms, consists entirely of polo shirts, button-ups, and V-neck sweaters. Taylor has definitely called him out for being outdated.
One Christmas, he spent the holidays with the PAW Patrol and wore a dinosaur-print sweater—not the cartoonish kind of dinosaur. Everyone agreed it was the ugliest Christmas sweater in PAW Patrol history.
Because of poor circulation in his legs, he usually carries a blanket to cover them (also dinosaur-print, of course).
⦿Diet🥗
Rex prefers light, mild flavors and enjoys fruits and vegetables, which doesn’t quite match his name. However, his appetite is enormous—on par with Rocky and Rubble.(Do all you R-named pups eat this much?)
One of the few fried foods he tolerates is dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. He likes making his own sandwiches.
⦿Hobbies①✏️
Rex loves dinosaurs—no doubt about it. Not the green cartoon versions, but the real, tangible ones roaming around the Dino Wilds. Of course, he has a soft spot for cartoon dinosaur prints and stickers (as long as the anatomy isn’t too off—otherwise, he refuses to acknowledge them as dinosaurs). He also loves reading, having started flipping through books in Tammy’s office before he could even read properly.
Collecting is another big hobby of his. He started with dinosaur stickers, then moved on to collecting pencils from different places (he and his brother used to tag along when Tammy traveled for conferences), sticking stickers on them. He also has a drawer full of notebooks, all covered in stickers.
He plays video games and is proficient with computers. During the time he was sick and stuck at home, besides reading the original *Jurassic Park* books and watching the movies, he passed the time and distracted himself with games. His favorites include Minecraft, Undertale, and Omori—mostly single-player games. However, his knowledge of internet memes rivals Chase’s, even though Chase basically thinks phones are just for making calls. He also plays rhythm games, though not as obsessively as Skye and Liberty—the moment they hit Adventure City, they head straight to the arcade to play rhythm game machines (and their smooth, flawless gameplay leaves passersby in awe).
He has a sketchbook filled with dinosaur sketches, anatomical studies, and other imaginative ideas. But ever since he developed a crush on Tracker, the corners of his sketchbook have been filled with drawings of a certain Chihuahua—front view, side view, half-body, full-body.
He also enjoys gardening, tending to plants and flowers. He has "green fingers."
⦿Dino Wilds🦖
This setting feels super out of place in a modern context (even more so than the Mighty Pups series), so I have to explain it as a product of technological advancement—a cloned dinosaur research facility? Life there is naturally not very comfortable, and only someone like Tammy could live in such a place for over a decade with two children. They rarely go outside, and the kids are homeschooled. The Dino Wilds has electricity and signal, but they often cut out.
We know the Mesozoic era had a dry, hot climate, and the Dino Wilds is the same. Growing up in this environment, Rex prefers sunny days and dislikes rainy weather (which is bad for both him and his wheelchair). However, his Bernese Mountain Dog nature makes him love cold temperatures and snow, so he never fully adapted to the Dino Wilds’s extreme heat. To prevent heatstroke, he has to cut back on outdoor work during summer days.
When Rex was18 and Taylor was16, the dinosaur cloning project was shut down, and they moved out of the place they had lived in for over a decade. Later, they would occasionally return to visit until the last dinosaur passed away. They knew every single dinosaur by name.