In summary: Balltze was a Shiba Inu adopted by fashion designer Kathy in Kowloon, Hong Kong. A photo posted to his Instagram in 2017 later became the “Cheems” meme — an internet-wide “sad but buff” format and, briefly, the face of several cryptocurrencies. He died in August 2023 at age 12 after a battle with…
In summary: Hachikō was an Akita born in 1923 near Ōdate, Japan, who met his owner at Tokyo’s Shibuya Station every evening. After the owner died suddenly in 1925, Hachikō kept returning to the station to wait for him, almost daily, for nearly ten years until his own death in 1935 — a story commemorated…
In summary: Mishka was a Siberian Husky whose “I love you” video, uploaded in 2008, drew more than 100 million views and made her the internet’s original talking dog. Owned by Matt Gardea, she was a YouTube-era star years before button-pressing dogs like Bunny arrived. Long before Bunny pressed a soundboard, a husky named Mishka…
In summary: Manny the Frenchie is a French Bulldog with more than 900,000 Instagram followers, managed by owner Amber Chavez. Through the Manny & Friends Foundation and a bestselling book, his brand has directed roughly $200,000 to animal charities. Plenty of dogs turn fame into merchandise. Manny the Frenchie turned it into a foundation. The…
In summary: Marnie was a Shih Tzu rescue with a permanent head tilt and lolling tongue who was adopted at age 11 and grew an Instagram following of more than 1.9 million. Owned by Shirley Braha, she proved senior rescue dogs could out-charm any puppy before her death in 2020 at age 18. Most internet-famous…
In summary: Boo was a Pomeranian billed as “the world’s cutest dog,” whose Facebook page grew to around 16 million likes after a 2010 tweet from singer Kesha. Owned by Irene Ahn, he had a signature teddy-bear haircut and published books before his death in 2019 at age 12. Before Instagram made dog fame routine,…
In summary: Bobbie the Wonder Dog was a Scotch Collie mix who, in 1923, was lost in Indiana and walked roughly 2,500 miles back to his family in Silverton, Oregon, arriving six months later. His journey, verified by witnesses along the route, made him a national sensation. Bobbie got separated from his family a thousand…
In summary: Bretagne was a Golden Retriever from Texas who searched Ground Zero for ten days after the September 11 attacks — her first deployment. She was the last known surviving 9/11 search dog when she died in 2016 at age 16, and firefighters lined up to salute her. Bretagne’s first day on the job…
In summary: Sergeant Stubby was a Boston Terrier mix who served 18 months with the U.S. 102nd Infantry in World War I, took part in 17 battles, warned troops of gas attacks, and became the only dog promoted to sergeant through combat. His preserved coat is held at the Smithsonian. A stray with no papers…
In summary: Pal was a male Rough Collie trained by Rudd Weatherwax who played the female role of Lassie in “Lassie Come Home” (1943). His direct descendants played Lassie for decades afterward, making him the founder of an unbroken canine acting line. The most famous female dog in film history was played by a male…