1892: Chappie, the Pedigree Fire Dog of New York City’s Flatiron District
One of my favorite fire-cat stories is about Peter and Chops, the beloved firefighter felines of Engine Company No. 14 in New York City's Flatiron District. When I wrote the story about Peter and Chops...
View Article1926: Miracle on 99th Street: Fanny, Sandy, and Peggy, the Dogs Who Saved the...
"The barking of two dogs, answering each other on the wind and sleet swept East River saved the lives of more than 80 men, women and children asleep in the cabins of a line of 40 coal barges, torn from...
View Article1930s: Peggy, Pal, and Bess, the Prize-Winning Brooklyn Fire Dogs of the FDNY
For four months in 1936, Bess was the most famous mother of all the Brooklyn fire dogs in the Fire Department of New York. But then her own daughter took over the Top Mom title of the FDNY. The post...
View Article1886: Sergeant Nick, The Newfoundland of the East New York Police Department
Visitors to the old East New York Police Station never failed to notice the large Newfoundland dog sitting about as if he owned the place. The old dog, described as long and shaggy and turning gray...
View Article1903, 1936: The Dog and Cat Mascots of FDNY Engine Company No. 65
In 1903, one of the most popular dog-and-cat dynamic duos of the FDNY were Dan and Nickie* of Engine Company No. 65. Forty years later, Chappy and Henry the pole-sliding cat were the canine and feline...
View Article1910 and 1931: Happy and Pansy, the Cat-Saving Fire Dogs of the FDNY
In 1910 and 1931, Happy and Pansy were two cat-saving fire dogs of the FDNY who ran into burning buildings to save their natural enemy. The post 1910 and 1931: Happy and Pansy, the Cat-Saving Fire Dogs...
View Article1904: Baltimore, the New York City Fire Dog Mascot of Engine 26
During their brief time in Baltimore during the great fire of 1904, the firemen of FDNY Engine Company 26 adopted a stray dog who followed them throughout the day. The men called him Baltimore and...
View Article1947: Butch, the WWII Canine Mascot of the Fort Hamilton Fire Department
During World War II, the United States Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn was an important staging area for the New York Port of Embarkation. The Fort Hamilton Fire Department, installed in...
View Article1899: Bang Go, the Wired-Up Mascot of FDNY Engine 56
My latest story is one of my favorites from my upcoming book, The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York (September 2024). I laugh every time I think about this crazy...
View Article1900: The Dogs (and Cats and Rabbits and Squirrels and Parrot) of Governors...
In my last two posts, I wrote about the Army cats of New York City's Army Building on Whitehall Street and the black cat mascot of the New York Tank Corps. This next story for Military Appreciation...
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