Patsy Ann's Special Dog Who Loved Meetings (11 Photos)

Known as the "Official Greeter of Juneau," this dog still greets ships and their passengers in Alaska.





On the pier of the city of Juneau, Alaska, stands a bronze figure of a bull terrier named Patsy Ann. The dog sits and looks towards the Gastineau Canal, where arriving ships dock. The statue stands on the spot where for more than a decade Patsy Ann greeted all passengers disembarking at the pier in Juneau and earned the title of "Official Greeter."



Patsy Ann was born in Portland, Oregon on October 12, 1929. The owners brought the dog to Juneau as a puppy. She was completely white, and, as is often the case with white bull terriers, she was completely deaf from birth. Although she was well cared for, Patsy did not enjoy being in the house and being the typical couch potato.





The grown animal abandoned home life and preferred to roam the streets of Juneau, spending most of its time on the city docks. The dog became well known and loved by all residents of the city. She never needed a treat, or food, or affectionate stroking, or a warm place to sleep - there was all this in abundance. She was also a favorite of dockworkers, sailors, and passengers arriving at Juneau's piers.

Even though Patsy Ann was deaf and could not hear the ship's whistle, she had the amazing ability to know when a ship was arriving in Juneau, even before it could be seen.



She also knew exactly where the dock was. Wherever she was and whatever she was doing, she hurried to the city embankments to greet the arriving ship. The teams always prepared a "official welcome" treat, and disembarking passengers eagerly waited their turn to pet the famous white dog.

Despite the unpredictable ship schedules, townspeople and departing passengers knew that the appearance of Patsy Ann on the pier heralded the imminent arrival of a ship. She never made a mistake or missed a single one. When anchored in the harbor, the dog would sometimes jump into the Gastineau Channel and swim out to greet the passengers. In 1934, the city's mayor proclaimed it "the official welcome to Juneau."



As Patsy Ann's fame spread, she became the most photographed dog in the west. Her image appeared on hundreds of photo postcards. Representatives of the port administration gave her a beautiful leather collar with engraving, but she did not particularly like wearing the gift - her freedom-loving soul did not like restrictions.

When Patsy Ann wasn't meeting ships in Juneau, she spent her time walking around the city. She was fed and pampered by the owners of shops, hotels, restaurants and bars. From the abundance of treats, she even developed a specific, squat gait. Patsy Ann often spent the night in the seamen's union hall located next to the docks.



The dog, who loved meetings, died in his sleep in the hall of the seamen's trade union on March 30, 1942. She was 14 years old. The next morning, accompanied by a large group of mourners, Patsy Ann was buried at sea. The body was placed in a small coffin and lowered into the Gastineau Canal from the place on the pier where she so often waited for ships - not far from where her statue now stands.

Fifty years later, the Friends of Patsy Ann commissioned a statue to be placed on the Juneau docks. The sculpture was created by Anna Burke Harris, an artist from New Mexico. When casting the bronze, Harris added real scraps of dog hair donated by people around the world. When the sculpture was transported, Harris insisted that it travel at least part of the way to Alaska by ship.



The opening took place on July 3, 1992. Now Patsy Ann sits again on her beloved pier and continues to greet ships and thousands of passengers arriving in the capital, just like many years ago.