February 2025
Winston Churchill once wrote a poem in honor of his daughter Mary's Pug puppy named Punch. Among other things, its verses described the dog whizzing on bushes and letting out a fart.
In the June 1955 comic book issue of Batman, it was revealed that the caped crusader had a German Shepherd turned “bat hound” named Ace, who wore a hooded mask to conceal his identity. Ace seemed to be a response to Superman having a dog named Krypto, which had been revealed three months earlier in the March 1955 issue of the Man of Steel’s own comic book.
The expression "hair of the dog" or "hair of the dog that bit you" came from an ancient belief that a person who was bitten by a rabid dog could be cured by placing a few hairs from the dog on the wound. The belief dated back at least to the time of Hippocrates (it doesn’t work).
Simon the Basset/Cattle Dog was recently sworn in as the second honorary mayor of New York City, beating out Bertram the Pomeranian and Enzo the Shih Tzu, among others. Pepper the Chocolate Mini-Dachshund was selected as honorary Deputy Mayor. Simon will assume the duties of retiring honorary mayor Sally Long Dog.
Cecil Hepworth (1874-1953), one of the founders of the British film industry, is credited with creating the first dog movie star. His 1905 film, Rescued By Rover, featured a Collie who saves a baby from a drunken beggar. In real life, Rover was played by Hepworth's own dog Blair. Because of the film's title and popularity, Rover became a generic name for any dog.