For as long as I can remember, I’ve been extremely fascinated by the Titanic ship disaster. Dating back to the 4th grade, I can recall making presentations to classmates throughout my schooling about the great tragedy. In college I went as far as driving two hours so I could attend a private Titanic museum exhibit. All of this time, however, I’ve always wondered about the fate of the first class dogs aboard the luxury liner. What kind of dogs were on board? Did they survive? What are their stories?
Turns out, dogs were like family even back in 1912. Many first class passengers brought their beloved canines on board their journey to America.
The Dogs of the Titanic
How many dogs were aboard the Titanic? There were twelve confirmed dogs as passengers on the Titanic.
How many dogs survived the sinking? Only three confirmed dogs survived the disaster.
Which dogs survived? It’s probably no surprise that the three surviving dogs were small breeds. They were a Pekinese and two Pomeranians.
What were the breeds that didn’t survive? They were all larger dogs, consisting of a King Charles Spaniel, an few Ariedales, a Fox Terrier, a French Bulldog and a Great Dane. The owner of the Great Dane chose to stay back with her dog instead of getting on a life boat because she refused to leave her dog behind. Can you even imagine?!
What was the fate of the big dogs? All of the big dogs were kept in kennels on the F Deck. There was a caretaker for them who would take them to exercise and go potty. Witnesses aboard the Titanic claim that someone let all of the dogs out of the kennels when the ship started sinking, and they raced up the slanted deck as the ship was falling below the Atlantic.
Were there other animals on board? There were. These included cats, rats, birds, hens and roosters. The Titanic even had an official cat named Jenny. She was in charge of keeping the rat population to a minimum. Jenny did not survive the sinking of the great vessel, as none of her animal companions did either.
Why did dogs live but humans died? Well, the only dogs that survived were the three small ones, and it’s said that the owners wrapped them in blankets to disguise them. I’m sure in such a situation, people would have been rather angry to see dogs taking their places on a lifeboat. However, the dogs really didn’t take up space, as they remained in their owners’ laps.
When the survivors were finally safe in America, some of the first class passengers who lost their dogs filed insurance claims.
The fate of the beautiful Titanic canines is a tragic one. Although they are gone, they are definitely not forgotten. Rest in peace to the nine dogs who perished in the Titanic’s voyage on April 14, 1912.
Source: The Smithsonian
Angela says
Very cool article, Amanda!
Amanda says
Thank you, Angela!
Jessica Shipman | Beagles & Bargains says
I’ve always been fascinated by it too. I was literally just reading about this (and other things about the Titanic). It certainly was a tragedy, but this was interesting to read!
Amanda says
I was telling Matt that I want to go on the Titanic II, which sets sail in 2018!!!!