Stamps
Meet Owney, a friendly scruffy terrier mix who became the official mascot of the U.S. Postal Service back in the 1890s! His grand adventure started on a chilly night in Albany, New York, when he sneaked into a local post office to stay warm. The postal clerks fell in love with his sweet personality and decided to take care of him. Owney quickly realized that he loved the smell of the heavy canvas mailbags more than anything else, choosing to sleep right on top of them to make sure every delivery was safe and sound.
Before long, Owney decided he wanted to travel with the mail! He began hopping onto mail trains, riding alongside the clerks from city to city and guarding letter bags wherever he went. Postal workers everywhere considered Owney their lucky charm because train journeys were much safer whenever he was on board. To show their gratitude, clerks attached shiny brass baggage tags to his collar from every city he visited. He earned so many tags that the Postmaster General even made him a custom little leather vest just to hold them all!
Over his lifetime, Owney traveled all across the United States and even went on a 120-day trip around the world, spreading joy and enthusiasm everywhere he trotted. He showed the kind of dedication, courage, and teamwork that every Scout strives for, proving that even a small dog can make a giant impact on a big community. He truly was a dog who was paw-sitively committed to delivering the goods!
