Owney the Mail Dog Shows off His Honors (1895)
The scruffy dog in this picture, Owney, is an important figure in the history of the United States mail service. The metal he is festooned with are treasured markers of his service. He started his service in Albany, New York’s post office. Owney came, and never left. The little dog traveled with the mail bags, riding with them and protecting them on the Railway Mail Service train as it crossed the continent.
As the beloved Owney traveled from station to station, postal workers put tags and other tokens on his collar to show where he’s been. He earned so many tokens that his collar started getting too heavy. Postmaster General John Wanamaker made Owney a body harness to display his medals. When Owney passed, he was preserved and sits, festooned with his medaled vest, at the United States Postal Museum in Washington DC.
