How One Unassuming Scruffy Mutt Became a Mascot for the United States Postal Service, Traveled the World and Made History: The story of Owney

by #LizPublika

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has a rather storied history. First, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the original Postmaster General in 1775, which was a pretty solid debut. This was followed by the extremely interesting and eventful Pony Express period that began in 1860, when American expansion stretched all the way west. And then there’s the organization’s first unofficial but massively popular mascot, a beloved scruffy dog by the name of Owney. 

This USPS story is about that dog. 

Somewhat paradoxically, it’s not clear who initially owned Owney. Different sources provide just as many different accounts, but what is clear is that Owney’s involvement with the USPS began in 1888. Some accounts suggest that he wandered into a post office located in Albany, New York. Others state that the mutt was abandoned there by a postal clerk. A couple note that the dog actually belonged to a postal clerk who allowed the dog to stay there after quitting the job.

Whatever the case may be, in 1888, Owney became a recognizable fixture at the Albany location. He was a scrappy little terrier mix who was absolutely adored by the people who worked there. Soon, it became rather apparent to everyone that Owney loved the smell of mail bags, so much so, he would sleep on them at every opportunity. And he was particularly thrilled when the postal workers bundled him in those bags so that he could keep warm on colder days. 

It wasn’t long before the mail workers recommended the dog to their Railway Mail Service colleagues, beginning Owney’s unofficial tenure as mascot — a position he proudly held for nearly a decade, a significant accomplishment with all things considered. Given his affinity for sleeping on mail bags, the clerks were unbothered by his tendency to snooze on the job, so he ended up accompanying the bags he slept on to the locations they were sent to. That’s how his travels started. 

It’s easy to assume that Owney’s presence annoyed the postal workers, but it was actually quite the opposite. It was a comfort to them, because he was considered their good luck charm; at the time, railway travel often caused a lot of accidents, but Owney’s company meant that the train was safe from wreckage, since none of the trains that he rode in ended up in one. Plus he protected the mail bags from anyone who wasn’t a postal worker, providing extra security.

In other words, Owney was a good boy. "American postal workers were his family," explained the curator of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. "He liked anyone who smelled like a mail bag." Owney quickly became a recognized and integral part of the organization, which is why he was always welcome at any railway post office, though the Albany train station was a key division point on the New York Central railroad system and one of the largest in the U.S.

From Albany, trains travelled around New York, eastward to Massachusetts, westward to Ohio and Illinois as well as further west. One source states: "The terrier 'Owney' travels from one end of the country to the other in the postal cars, tagged through, petted, talked to, looked out for, as a brother, almost. But sometimes, no matter what the attention, he suddenly departs for the south, the east, or the west, and is not seen again for months."

This was starting to become a problem for an organization that committed itself to taking care of its unusual mascot. Safety was an increasingly growing concern, and so upon Owney’s return to Albany from one of his long bouts of travel, the postal clerks banded together and bought him a dog collar with a metal tag that read: "Owney, Post Office, Albany, New York." The considerate move inspired an unintentional trend. 

Owney may not have had a passport but he was tagged in other ways; wherever Owney went, post office workers would attach their own tags to his collar as a way of acknowledging his belonging and community membership. Eventually, the number of tags announced Owney’s arrival before he was spotted by sight as the tags jingled like sleigh bells. And when his tags started to weigh him down, Owney was gifted a jacket to carry them.

Because Owney belonged to everyone and no one in particular, the tags kept coming. As a way to continue the tradition but not overpower the dog, new tags started replacing some of the older ones, which were sent to the Albany office or one in Washington D.C. for safekeeping. It’s hard to verify the exact number, but one source suggests that Owney eventually amassed an impressive 1,017 tags/medals/tokens, which became a vital part of his overall identity. 

Some of these are still available for viewing. Out of the hundreds of trinkets bestowed on the beloved mutt, some 372 Owney tags have survived to this day at the National Postal Museum. The tags symbolize Owney’s journey, which allegedly involved at least 143,000 miles throughout the 48 contiguous United States and around the world; indeed, in 1895, the little unassuming dog enjoyed a global adventure, riding with mail bags aboard trains and steamships. 

It began on August 19th in Tacoma, Washington. Owney traveled for four months throughout Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and across Europe, before returning to New York City on December 23rd; from there, he then traveled to Albany. Owney's triumphant return to American shores was covered by newspapers nationwide; one report even claimed the Emperor of Japan awarded the dog two passports and several medals bearing the Japanese coat of arms. 

“By 1897 Owney had taken ill twice, had become occasionally ill-tempered, and moved with difficulty. A postal clerk briefly took Owney into his home in St. Louis, but the dog would not stay still. In June 1897, while Owney was in Toledo, Ohio, he bit a mail clerk and snapped at his handlers. The Toledo postmaster believed the dog had become uncontrollable and asked the local sheriff to put him down, which he did on June 11, 1897.” 

The Chicago Tribune termed it "an execution." This was a sentiment shared by many across the country, as postal service members grieved the sudden loss of the industry staple and beloved icon. To make a statement: "Postal clerks refused to bury their beloved mascot. Clerks across the country asked that the dog receive the honor they considered he was due by being preserved and presented to the Post Office Department's headquarters."

And so it was. But that did not mark the full end of his story. From being exhibited at the World’s Fair in 1904 to being a part of numerous exhibitions across the country for several years, Owney continued in death as he had in life, always accompanied by his tags and jacket. Finally, in 1993, he was moved to the new Smithsonian National Postal Museum, where he remains on display next to a fabricated Railway Post Office train car.

On July 27, 2011, the USPS issued a forever stamp in Owney’s honor. Artist Bill Bond said he wanted to render the dog "in a spirited and lively" presentation. Working from the mounted remains, he was finally able to achieve a result he was happy with, as numerous trips to dog parks left him uninspired. From numerous books and documentaries, his story is preserved for the ages. But Owney was also immortalized in poetry:

One was from a clerk in Detroit: “Owney is a tramp, as you can plainly see. Only treat him kindly, and take him 'long wid ye." Another was penned by a clerk in Minnesota: "On'y one Owney, and this is he; the dog is aloney, so let him be." Clearly, the small and scruffy pooch meant more to people than can be summed up in words. For over a century, his story has warmed the hearts of people near and far, and that’s exactly as it should be.