Were There Dogs on the Titanic?

The answer is a resounding yes! First class passengers were allowed to bring their pets and some did! There were at least 10 dogs that can be accounted for on the Titanic, one source says there were 12. The number varies because some passengers hid their dog with them in their cabin instead of revealing they had a dog with them. It’s known that Margaret Hays of New York City, kept her puppy with her. In fact, she hid him under her coat when she got into Lifeboat #7. Who knows how many other canine stow-aways were on board?

Most passengers who traveled with their dog let them travel in the on-board kennel. Every afternoon passengers were delighted when stewards walked the dogs from the kennel around the ship’s decks.

The world’s first tribute to the ten dogs, called “Dogs of the Titanic” premiered March 19, 2010 at the World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, MO. The half scale replica of the Titanic has its own special mascots, Molly and Carter, two King Charles Spaniels that greet visitors to the museum. You can tour their “kennel,” which is more like a stateroom, meet their caretaker, First Class Maid Jaynee and even meet the current ship’s Captain Smith. You can watch Molly and Carter from your computer anytime the museum is open on their Live Webcam and read Jaynee’s daily blog!

If you’re a Titanic fan, this museum website www.TitanicBranson.com is one of the most interesting, charming sites I’ve visited. Beside the adorable dog exhibit, you can get a preview of the ship, read biographies of the ships passengers and crew, listen to narrated stories about them, watch videos about the Titanic, preview the Molly Brown exhibit and the Survivor’s Wall of Stories, and read about special upcoming events for the 100th Anniversary - like the Rose Petal ceremony. Following are a couple of articles about the dogs on the Titanic that tell you about the dogs and the ones that survived! 

Barbara Denzer, reporting for Kidoodlepets.com