History books are full of people who have taken on extraordinary voyages, created unimaginable inventions, or fought for what matters the most. But what they often leave out are the animals that also had a significant influence on human history and culture. From Yorkie Smoky, who was credited as the first therapy dog while serving in WWII, to the actress Pepper the Cat, the pets that surround us shape the world we live in in the most precious and unlikely ways.
Below you’ll find many more historical pets from this Instagram account that made headlines and history with their exceptional stories. Scroll down to see them for yourself, so the paw prints they left on our past continue to live on!
#1
She could fit in a helmet — but her impact couldn’t be measured that way.
Smoky wasn’t bred for war. She wasn’t even trained for it. She was found in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea, no bigger than a loaf of bread, her coat tangled and eyes wide. No one knew where she came from. But from that moment on, she belonged to the soldiers.
She didn’t look like much — four pounds, seven inches tall — but Smoky flew in combat planes. She parachuted with her handler. She comforted wounded men in field hospitals and entertained troops with tricks, bringing laughter into places where there was none.
But her greatest moment came in silence.
An airstrip was being built under fire, and communications cable had to be run through a narrow underground pipe — too small and dangerous for a person to enter. So they tied a string to Smoky’s collar, coaxed her in, and watched as she crawled through 70 feet of darkness, debris, and dust… and came out the other side with the line.
She saved them days of work. Maybe lives.
Smoky didn’t know about tactics or warfare. She only knew voices. Faces. The people who fed her, held her, and needed her.
And somehow, she understood enough to help.
That’s why I remember her. Because sometimes, the smallest one in the room changes everything. And because love — real love — doesn’t ask about size, rank, or species.
We haven’t forgotten you, Smoky. And we never should.
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90points
#2
Sometimes, the smallest figures leave the largest shadows.
Stubby wasn’t bred for war. He was a stray—just a short, stocky mutt with no pedigree and no orders. But he showed up on a training field in Connecticut, made friends with a soldier, and refused to leave.
When his unit shipped out to Europe, Stubby hid aboard the ship. By the time they landed in France, he was their mascot. By the time they returned home, he was a legend.
Stubby served in the trenches for 18 months. He survived gas attacks, artillery fire, and freezing nights. He learned to recognize the sound of incoming shells before the men could. He warned of gas before the whistles blew. He found wounded soldiers in no-man’s-land and stayed with them until help arrived.
One time, he even caught a German spy sneaking through the lines—by chasing him down and holding him by the seat of his pants until American troops arrived.
They gave him a uniform. A medal. A salute. But none of that ever really mattered to him. Stubby wasn’t following a flag or a cause. He followed people. The ones who fed him, trusted him, and fought beside him.
He was promoted to sergeant. But he never asked for rank.
I remember Stubby because some of the greatest acts of courage come from those who never intended to be brave. He didn’t go to war for glory. He went because someone he loved did.
We haven’t forgotten you, Stubby. And we never should.
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65points
#3
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, Michael Hingson, a sales director who had been blind since birth, arrived at his office on the 78th floor of Tower One at the World Trade Center. His guide dog, Roselle, took her usual spot under his desk. At 8:45 a.m., a hijacked plane struck the tower just 18 floors above them.
After calling his wife and ensuring his team had evacuated, Hingson began the long descent down 78 flights of stairs with Roselle. Navigating through smoke, debris, and crowds of people, they reached the lobby. As they got outside, Tower Two had already been hit and was collapsing. “It sounded like a metal and concrete waterfall,” Hingson recalled. They took cover in a subway entrance and later resurfaced as Tower One came down. Roselle then guided Hingson nearly 40 blocks to a friend’s apartment, bringing him to safety.
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62points
The history of pets started with animal domestication. Humans tamed animals like goats and sheep for meat, milk, coats, and skin. They domesticated larger animals like oxen and horses to help them with tasks like plowing and transportation. But even before that, people first began domesticating wolves to aid them in hunting. This relationship further turned into the companionship that many people now share with their dogs.
Scientists believe that wolves started hanging out around human camps to scavenge for leftover food. It’s predicted that domestication happened naturally as generations of wolves got used to being near nomads and traveling with them. Scholars estimate that it took from six to eight generations to turn a canine like a wolf into a friendly companion. So it wasn’t a slow process that happened out of nowhere overnight.
#4
Togo. Not the statue in Central Park. Not the name most people remember. But the dog who actually ran the farthest, braved the worst, and asked for nothing in return.
In 1925, a deadly outbreak threatened the children of Nome, Alaska. A relay of sled dogs carried the antitoxin across hundreds of frozen miles. Most know Balto. But Togo led the longest and most dangerous stretch — 260 miles through blizzards, cracking ice, and black Arctic night.
He was 12 years old. Too old, they said. Too small. Too spirited. But he didn’t flinch. He crossed the Norton Sound as the ice split beneath him. He slept little. He kept going.
When it was over, others met the cameras. Togo returned quietly with his musher, Leonhard Seppala. No medals. No parade. Just the satisfaction of having made it home.
Togo didn’t run for glory. He ran because he trusted. Because he knew the way — and chose to go farther.
I remember him because the world doesn’t always reward the right one. And because some heroes never ask to be seen.
We haven’t forgotten you, Togo. And we never should.
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61points
#5
Camberley Kate, And Her Stray Dogs In England. She Never Turned A Stray Dog Away, Taking Care Of More Than 600 Dogs In Her Lifetime (1962)
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56points
#6
She didn’t carry a weapon. She carried hope.
Judy was an English Pointer, born in Shanghai and raised aboard Royal Navy ships. She learned to navigate decks, sense storms, and bark at trouble long before war ever broke out. But nothing could have prepared her for what came next.
In 1942, her ship — HMS Grasshopper — was attacked and sunk by Japanese forces. Judy survived. She swam to shore alongside the crew, found freshwater in the jungle, and led them through enemy territory to safety.
But that was only the beginning.
Judy and the surviving crew were captured and sent to a Japanese POW camp. Life inside was brutal — hunger, disease, punishment. Yet Judy stayed with them. She became more than a mascot. She became a lifeline.
She barked warnings when guards approached. She shared scraps of food with prisoners. She chased off snakes and lifted spirits in a place where joy was nearly extinct.
Fearing she’d be k****d, the prisoners hid her identity until one of them, Leading Aircraftman Frank Williams, managed to get her officially registered as a fellow prisoner of war — the only dog to ever hold that status.
She survived the camp. She returned home. And she lived out her days peacefully in England, finally safe beside the man who had shared her sentence.
I remember Judy not because she knew what war was — but because she knew who her people were. And she stayed with them. Through hunger, fear, and barbed wire.
We haven’t forgotten you, Judy. And we never should.
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54points
The earliest known dog dates back 35,000 years ago. Its remains were discovered in a grave with its human companion in Germany in the early 1900s.
What’s fascinating is that in 2016, the University of Oxford published evidence that dogs were domesticated twice. Once in Europe about 16,000 years ago and then again in Asia around 14,000 years ago, from two separate wolf lineages.
#7
In the 1930s, a black retriever named Swansea Jack became a legend in Wales after rescuing 27 people from drowning in the River Tawe and Swansea docks.
Jack fearlessly dove into the water to save lives, earning him medals, a silver cup, and the title “Dog of the Century.”
He became such a symbol of bravery that to this day, people from Swansea are proudly nicknamed "Jacks" in his honor.
His statue still stands along the Swansea promenade, a tribute to the city's most heroic pup.
Jack fearlessly dove into the water to save lives, earning him medals, a silver cup, and the title “Dog of the Century.”
He became such a symbol of bravery that to this day, people from Swansea are proudly nicknamed "Jacks" in his honor.
His statue still stands along the Swansea promenade, a tribute to the city's most heroic pup.
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50points
#8
He didn’t wear a helmet. But he stood between danger and his men.
Gander was a Newfoundland dog — massive, shaggy, and gentle by nature. He originally belonged to a family in Canada, but after a playful scratch on a child, he was rehomed with soldiers stationed nearby. They named him Gander, and he became their companion, their guardian, and eventually, their comrade.
When the Royal Rifles of Canada were deployed to Hong Kong during World War II, Gander went with them.
At first, he lifted spirits — a reminder of home in a foreign, hostile place. But when battle broke out during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in December 1941, Gander became more than a mascot.
The men even promoted him to Sergeant — not just as a sign of affection, but as a form of protection. With a rank, Gander couldn’t be removed as a “non-essential animal.” He was one of them.
And when it mattered most, he acted like it.
He charged enemy soldiers to protect the wounded. He barked warnings. He stayed at the front lines. And then, during one of the final assaults, someone threw a live grenade toward a group of injured Canadians.
Gander didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed the grenade in his mouth and ran. It detonated away from the men — k*****g him instantly, but saving their lives.
For decades, Gander’s sacrifice lived only in memory. But in 2000, he was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal, sometimes called the “animal Victoria Cross.”
I remember Gander not just because of what he did — but because he didn’t know he was in a war. He only knew his people were in danger. And that was enough.
We haven’t forgotten you, Sergeant Gander. And we never should.
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50points
#9
“You, sweet Patrice, were in the habit of joining us at table and fawningly asking for food in our lap, you were accustomed to lick with your gready tongue the cup which my hands often held for you and regularly to welcome your tired master with wagging tail..”
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49points
The second pet that humans acquired actually domesticated itself. In true cat fashion, their DNA suggests that tabbies have lived for thousands of years alongside humans before they were domesticated.
It’s likely that the cats started hanging around humans as they settled more and started storing grains. Grains attracted rodents, which were a source of food for felines, so they decided to reside close to humans and establish a mutually beneficial relationship.
#10
George, the brave Jack Russell Terrier saved five children from a vicious attack by two pit bulls in Manaia, New Zealand. Despite being much smaller than the attacking dogs, George courageously defended the children, barking and rushing at the pit bulls to protect them. He was so severely mauled in the fight that a veterinarian had to put him down due to the extent of his injuries. George’s bravery didn’t go unnoticed. The New Zealand Society for the Protection of Animals awarded him a bravery medal, and he was also awarded the PDSA Gold Medal by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals. This medal is considered the animal equivalent of the George Cross, a testament to George’s extraordinary act of bravery. They also erected this monument.
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47points
#11
This is Ruby, the last horse to leave the coal mines, stepping into the daylight on December 3, 1972, with flowers around her neck and music playing to honor her quiet courage. Like so many before her, Ruby spent her life in darkness, pulling heavy coal wagons underground, never feeling the sun or fresh air. Yet these horses carried on with quiet strength, knowing when their day should end and refusing to move if the burden was too much.
They worked side by side with their human partners, sharing the weight and silence of a world beneath the earth. Today, we take the time to honor Ruby and all the brave horses who lived and worked in the shadows, reminding us of their dignity and sacrifice. They will always be the ghosts of the coal mines.
They worked side by side with their human partners, sharing the weight and silence of a world beneath the earth. Today, we take the time to honor Ruby and all the brave horses who lived and worked in the shadows, reminding us of their dignity and sacrifice. They will always be the ghosts of the coal mines.
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46points
#12
During World War Ii, a Great Dane named Juliana became a canine hero. In 1941, a German incendiary b**b landed in her owner’s home in England. Without hesitation, Juliana urinated on the device, extinguishing it before it could cause an explosion. Her quick thinking saved lives and earned her a medal for bravery from the Blue Cross, an animal welfare charity.
Juliana’s story doesn’t end there-she received a second Blue Cross Medal in 1944 for alerting her owners to a fire in their shop. While her first act of heroism is often recounted with humor, it underscores the incredible instincts and intelligence of animals, even in the face of war.
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45points
“This is probably how the first encounter between humans and cats occurred,” said researcher Claudio Ottoni of the University of Leuven.
“It’s not that humans took some cats and put them inside cages,” he jokes. Instead, people more or less allowed cats to hang around them and domesticate themselves.
#13
In 2014, a remarkable survival story unfolded deep in the Siberian wilderness. Four-year-old Karina Chikitova wandered away from her remote village in Russia’s Sakha Republic, following her father into the forest.
Unnoticed and lost, she spent 11 days alone in the wild, accompanied only by her loyal puppy, Naida. Facing freezing nights, Karina stayed warm by cuddling with Naida and survived by foraging for wild berries and drinking river water.
After nine days, Naida returned to the village—sparking hope and leading rescuers to Karina, who was eventually found alive, weak but safe. Her resilience, courage, and the loyalty of her dog turned her ordeal into an extraordinary story of survival!
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45points
#14
In May 2020 Chartwell welcomed Jock VII, a six-month-old rescue kitten, to take up this unique role.
Along with his white bib and white paws, Jock VII has a very mischievous character. His favourite pastimes are investigating what the gardeners are up to and playing down in the long grasses of the orchard. He also likes lots of cuddles on the sofa after an eventful day.
Keep an eye out for him as you tour the property.
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43points
#15
In the small town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, a curious error during the local election led to the oldest cat in the community, Sir Whiskers, being officially declared the new mayor. The mix-up began when a group of local teenagers jokingly added Sir Whiskers’ name to the online ballot as a write-in candidate. The prank caught on, and the town’s residents, amused and perhaps a bit enchanted by the idea, overwhelmingly voted for the feline candidate.
The morning after the election, officials were stunned to discover that Sir Whiskers had won the race by a landslide, outpacing several human candidates. The town council quickly convened to address the legality of a cat holding office. To everyone’s surprise, they found no specific rule in the town’s charter against a non-human mayor.
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40points
What’s interesting is that throughout the history of cats, wild and domestic felines never developed massive genetic differences. One of the few traits to tell them apart was their coat markings. This means that, unlike dogs, cats didn’t need to change much to become domesticated companions to humans.
It can be explained by the fact that dogs were selected to perform specific tasks like hunting, which wasn’t the case for cats. That said, different from canines, tabbies only became popular pets around the 18th century.
#16
"The more cats you have, the longer you will live. If you have a hundred cats, you will live ten times longer than if you have ten. One day, this will be known and people will have thousands of cats." -Charles Bukowski
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39points
#17
If there is ever a doubt about who is in charge, ask the Godfather 🐾Marlon Brando once said, “I live in my cat’s house.” The actor adored #cats throughout his life. The iconic #cat held by Brando in the 1972 classic “The Godfather” was actually a stray found on set.
As Don Corleone calmly explains his idea of “friendship” to the undertaker Bonasera, the first nearly full-body shot of the don reveals a fabulous, unexpected guest: a gorgeous gray and white cat sitting in Marlon Brando’s lap.
“The cat in Marlon’s hands was not planned for,” director Francis Ford Coppola said later. “I saw the cat running around the #studio, and put him in his hands without a word.”
Brando was mad for children and #animals, and it became part of the scene. But the sheer joy of the kitty nearly ruined the shot. The story goes that “when the #sound crew listened to Brando’s dialogue, they couldn’t understand a word he was saying and feared they would have to use subtitles.” The issue wasn’t the great Brando but, yes, the sublime cat, whose mellifluous #purring wrecked the sound. Listen to the “Godfather” track and you can still hear it. Happy cat! Here’s to Brando and all the cats who forever rule our homes. ❤️🐖
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38points
#18
US Marine Sergeant Frank Praytor, a combat correspondent with the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War (1951-1952), became widely known for a heartwarming photograph capturing him feeding an orphaned kitten named “Miss Hap” with a medicine dropper.
The kitten, whose mother was k**l£d in a mortar barrage near Bunker Hill, was nursed back to health by Praytor using canned milk and meat from C-rations, showcasing a moment of compassion amid the brutality of war. The image, published in over 1,700 newspapers, brought him fame and even marriage proposals from women across the US.
The kitten, whose mother was k**l£d in a mortar barrage near Bunker Hill, was nursed back to health by Praytor using canned milk and meat from C-rations, showcasing a moment of compassion amid the brutality of war. The image, published in over 1,700 newspapers, brought him fame and even marriage proposals from women across the US.
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37points
But that doesn’t mean that felines weren’t a significant part of human culture before the 18th century. Cats were arguably more prominently worshipped than dogs in civilizations like Egypt, Japan, and Turkey. While dogs were also valued, cats were believed to be the most special.
#19
Mercy Dogs: Meet the Heroes Who Delivered Aid and Comforted the Dying on the Battlefields of World War I
Over 16 million total animals were in service during the Great War.
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37points
#20
Launched on February 26, 2024 the initiative aims to rescue, treat, and rehabilitate endangered, injured, threatened or abused animals worldwide, as well as restoring vital habitats.
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37points