Frozen in Time – Patsy Ann the Bull Terrier

Text and illustrations by Ria Hörter

The statue of a stone-deaf Bull Terrier is one of the most-photographed dog statues in the world. The terrier, Patsy Ann, is immortalized on the quay of Juneau, Alaska, on the spot where she greeted thousands of cruise ship passengers during the 1930s and early ‘40s.

Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska Patsy Ann was born in Portland, Oregon on October 12, 1929. She arrived in Juneau, the capital of Alaska, as a pup with her owner Dr. Kaser (or Kayser).

Although Patsy Ann was well cared for, first by her owner and later by the Rice family, she was not content to be a house pet. She scavenged all over the streets and was particularly attracted to the harbors, where the cruise ships moored and tourists disembarked.

Although Patsy Ann was deaf, she always waited on the right quay to greet an incoming ship. Nobody knew how she knew. In 1934, mayor Goldstein gave her the title ‘The official greeter of Juneau, Alaska.’ If there were no ships, Patsy Ann would make her rounds in the city, visiting the shopkeepers who gave her something to eat. Some hotels, restaurants and bars would provide shelter for the night.

Her First Priority

Ship arrival times were not fixed, but when Patsy Ann went to the quay, inhabitants and waiting passengers could be sure that a ship was coming in. Patsy Ann spent many hours in the Longshoremen’s Union Hall at the waterside, but wherever she was, greeting the ships was her first priority.

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Posted by Alex on Aug 21 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.