The Atlas Obscura Podcast Man’s Best (Stiff) Friends (Classic)
Jan 9, 2026
Michelle Cassidy and Jonathan Carey, both editors at Atlas Places, share heartwarming tales of two heroic dogs. Cassidy recounts the remarkable journey of Sergeant Stubby, a stray who became a WWI mascot saving troops from mustard gas and capturing a spy. Carey follows up with the adventures of Oney, a beloved postal dog famous for riding trains and collecting mementos. Both pups ended up preserved for their legacies, serving as enduring symbols of loyalty and bravery.
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Sergeant Stubby’s Wartime Heroics
- Michelle Cassidy recounts Sergeant Stubby's origin as a stray who joined the 102nd Infantry at Yale and stowed aboard a ship to France.
- Stubby alerted soldiers to gas attacks, found wounded men, caught a spy, earned many medals, and was later taxidermied for the Smithsonian.
Oney The Globetrotting Postal Dog
- Jonathan Carey tells Oney's story from stray in Albany to beloved U.S. Postal Service mascot riding mail trains worldwide.
- Oney amassed jingling tags and trinkets, toured the world, was preserved after death, and now sits in the Smithsonian's Postal Museum.
Heroes Preserved In Taxidermy
- Dylan Thuras highlights a surprising museum pattern: many celebrated animals are preserved and displayed as