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 ‘FDNY Horses/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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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.
1891: Patsey, The State Street Fire Cat of Brooklyn’s Hook and Ladder Company 10
Posted: 5th October 2021 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: 264 State Street, Brooklyn Fire Department, Brooklyn History, Cats of Old New York, Fire Cats, Ladder Company 110, Schermerhorn Street
Two days after the new Hook and Ladder Company No. 10 of the Brooklyn Fire Department went into service, a new member was added to the roster: a small cat “who wore a fur coat which in color resembled a tortoise shell.”
