Patsy Ann, Juneau's Official Greeter
Posted by: woofiegrrl
N 58° 16.916 W 134° 24.365
8V E 534829 N 6460252
The deaf bull terrier who greeted ships at Juneau's wharf during the 1930's has been memorialized with a statue on the same wharf, where she continues to greet visitors.
Waymark Code: WMEA6
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 06/05/2006
Views: 171
Patsy Ann, a deaf bull terrier, was born in Oregon in 1929. After coming to Juneau as a puppy, she demonstrated an uncanny instinct for when a ship was going to arrive at the town wharf. Her presence was a treat to those arriving, and she was often followed by townspeople. Having gained fame back in the "lower 48," Patsy Ann was named the "Official Greeter of Juneau" in 1934, and she continued to run to the docks for every ship arrival. She finally passed away in 1942, and her funeral was well-attended; her coffin was placed into the Gastineau Channel.
In 1992, a statue was installed on the wharf where Patsy Ann so frequently sat to greet sailors. Commissioned by the "Friends of Patsy Ann" group, the statue was sculpted by Anna Burke Harris of New Mexico, and she included dog hairs from dogs around the world in the bronze sculpture.
Patsy Ann has an official website at
PatsyAnn.com, and her story can also be found
at RoadsideAmerica.com. In addition to being featured in the locally-published 1939 book
Patsy Ann, she was also the inspiration for the children's book
Dogstar, by Beverley and Chris Wood.