Her name evokes images of a contented cow instead of a Dalmatian,  but “Bessie” was, in fact, the very first Dalmatian to be registered with the AKC back in 1888. We doubt she was the same “Bessie” who was exhibited at the Westminster Kennel Club Show in 1910 (which would have made that first Bessie 22 years old!!), but this Bessie was a working girl who put in shifts at Engine Company No. 39. She was particularly fond of a certain Lieutenant Wise, her owner, who called her a natural-born mascot. He said, “By instinct she would run ahead of the horses whooping it up and getting people out of the way for us.”

When Co. 39’s Bessie was shown at Westminster, the kennel club offered a special class for Dalmatians who were owned by members of the New York City Fire Department. Records tells us that a Dal named, “Mike,” won first place, and “our” Bessie came in second. Smoke II (what a great name for a fire department Dalmatian) owned by Hook and Ladder No. 68, came in third, and yet another Bess was reserve.

Untitled Dalmatian Trio painting by Anderson which recently sold at auction for $375 at Invaluable Auction