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 stars of the fire company. Here are their stories and photos.
Archive for the ‘Dog Mascots’ Category
1903, 1936: The Dog and Cat Mascots of FDNY Engine Company No. 65
Posted: 19th February 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Dog Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Bide-a-Wee, cat mascots, dog mascots, Engine Company No. 65, FDNY history, New York City History
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1886: Sergeant Nick, The Newfoundland of the East New York Police Department
Posted: 29th January 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Mascots, Dog TailsVisitors 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 around the face, was a favorite among all the policemen as well as “citizens in general and reporters in particular.”
With “sterling qualities, his intelligence and his friendly feeling toward the law abiding portion of the human race,” Nick had truly earned his sergeant’s stripes.
1930s: Peggy, Pal, and Bess, the Prize-Winning Brooklyn Fire Dogs of the FDNY
Posted: 13th January 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Brooklyn History, Dalmatians, Engine Company 271, FDNY history, fire dogs, Waldheim
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.
1892: Chappie, the Pedigree Fire Dog of New York City’s Flatiron District
Posted: 9th November 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Engine Company No. 14, FDNY history, fire dogs, Flatiron District, New York City History
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 for my book, The Cat Men of Gotham, I didn’t realize that they had a canine predecessor.
I recently discovered the wonderful story of Chappie, a pedigree pit bull coach dog gifted by William Waldorf Astor who also called the Engine 14 firehouse his home.
