The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York with Peggy Gavan

Event Highlights:

• Meet a heroic Dalmatian who saved the lives of humans and cats from burning buildings
• Hear about a huge, 40-pound firecat who lost most of that weight on an accidental diet
• Learn the history of fire poles and fire escapes in New York City
• Find out why Dalmatians were a favorite dog in the fire department
• Uncover the story of a monkey who saved her own firehouse from burning down
• Discover a miniature fire department at Coney Island's Dreamland Park
• A portion of book sales from copies of The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York purchased directly from the author will go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation

About this Event:

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Fire Department of the City of New York permitted firemen to keep one dog, one cat, or singing birds in their firehouse. These animals, in addition to the horses that pulled the apparatus, provided companionship for the men, who were required to work and live at their firehouses for weeks at a time with only a few hours off for meals and family time. Many fire companies of Old New York broke the rules and welcomed multiple mascots into their firehouses. Some companies also had unique firehouse pets, such as monkeys, goats, and turtles. 

During this 45-minute presentation, author Peggy Gavan will take readers on a fun historical tour of the FDNY and firefighting in New York City via some amazing, emotive, and oftentimes hilariously absurd stories of the FDNY horses and mascots whose acts of bravery, extraordinary intelligence, and funny antics deserve to be told and preserved. 

*To order a book from the author and have a portion of the proceeds go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, please email her directly at pgavan [at] optonline.net

About Peggy Gavan:

Peggy Gavan is an editor and volunteer firefighter living in Warwick, NY, with her husband and 3 cats. She is the author of the Hatching Cat NYC website and the award-winning book, The Cat Men of Gotham: Tales of Feline Friendships in Old New York. Peggy is also the co-founder of Cats About Town: NYC Walking Tours for Cat Lovers and is a member of the steering committee of the future New York City Cat Museum.

Photo Credits (Starting top left, clockwise):

Photo 1: Courtesy of the Collection of the Connecticut Firemen's Historical Society
Photo 2: Courtesy of the New York City Fire Museum
Book Cover: Courtesy of Rutgers University Press
Photo 3: Courtesy of the Collection of the Connecticut Firemen's Historical Society