Herding Bronze Cats

"Stubby Salutes," was unveiled on May 23rd at the AKC Museum of the Dog in Manhattan. Stubby is considered to be the first US military dog. He reached the rank of Sergeant during WWI. Photo: AMNY Earlier this week, in honor of Memorial Day in the United States, a statue of a hero was unveiled in New York. Of course there are a lot of statues of military heroes in New York, but this one is different: it's a bulldog. And not just any bulldog, Sgt. Stubby is generally considered to be the first official service-dog in the US military. He began as a stray and earned the rank of Segrant through his bravery and dedication to the men he served with. He's a truly inspiring pup. In the midst of WWI a bulldog wandered onto the base of the 102 Infantry Regiment in the 26th Yankee Division at Yale. He quickly befriended an infantryman named Robert Conroy. Conroy named the short-legged bulldog Stubby, and used his overcoat to smuggle him onto the ship when he was deployed. ...

Fala, FDR's Scottie is the only presidential pet memorialized in a statue. Find Fala, ever at his master's side just off the National Mall in Washington, DC. Photo: NPS I n the US, today is President’s Day, when we remember and honor those who have led our country through the good times and the bad. I’m taking the opportunity to talk about a memorial to a president that includes his famous pup.The pets of presidents are often the only thing that a divided American populace can agree on. A few recent examples include Bo and Sunny, the Obama’s dogs, Barney, one of George W. Bushes dogs, and the Clinton family cat, Socks. Nixon’s speech about his dog Checkers is often credited with saving his early political career. These critters all had a higher approval rating than their owners. Pets are often suggested as a way to soften a politician's image, though that can backfire. Avid dog lover Lyndon Johnson created a national uproar by picking up his beagle by the ears . Donald...

Zelda sits in front of the Heathman a hotel famous for its treatment of pets. Photo: Zelda Wisdom Facebook Page Happy National Dress Up Your Pet Day. Yes, that's an actual day in the United States!  I'll be using it as an excuse to talk about the statue of Zelda Wisdom in Portland. If you don’t know Zelda by name you’ll probably recognize her face. Zelda is a bulldog celebrity. Really, she’s a model, famous for her work in greeting cards and calendars, and her manager/publicist/writer is Carol Gardner. It makes the most sense to talk about Carol before we get to Zelda and her statue. Carol Gardner was an advertising executive, who went through a tough divorce at 52 and her lawyer joked that she should either get a therapist or get a dog. She chose the latter and brought Zelda, a four-month-old English bulldog into her home. Zelda proved her worth immediately by improving Carol’s mood, but her appetite was huge. When Carol heard about a contest at a local pet store givi...

Samson's memorial in Estes Park stands as a reminder of the massive elk and as a warning to poachers. Author's Collection My most recent outing brought me to Estes Park, Colorado (I’ll be running out of memorials in my home state soon though).  Estes is a small mountain community on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. The community may be most famous as the home of the Stanley Hotel (from the movie version of Stephen King's The  Shining ). Because of its proximity to the National Park it’s pretty common to see deer and their larger cousins, elk wandering through town.  The best known of these elk was Samson. He attained celebrity status thanks to his size and demeanor. The 1000+ lb. gentle giant roamed the streets and wild areas of town amusing visitors and locals alike. His antlers sported seven points on one side and nine on the other, making him easily recognizable And because he lived on a campground property he met a lot of visitors. Samson is ...

Dizzy appears alert, awaiting his master's call to bring the next load of lights up the mountain. Author's Collection Warning: This may be part one of Dizzy's story. I have reached out to a couple of people in Palmer Lake (including the statue's artist) to learn more. If I hear back I'll add a new Dizzy entry. I haven't had a chance to write here lately. I've been too busy. If you're actually following this blog regularly please accept my apology for the time you waited for this entry. "Come Dizzy" Donna Arndt, Palmer Lake Historical Society 2006. Author's Collection I visited Palmer Lake recently to see the monument to Dizzy the dog. Dizzy is remembered with an amazing bronze in the small park between Palmer Lake’s Historic Society and Town Hall. Dizzy's statue is the finest, most detailed statue that I've seen so far in my quest to visit memorials to animals. Dizzy is also the first monument I've talked about to a...