Owney, the Mail Dog

By Katie Flores

The icy wind whipped through the streets of Albany, New York, and snow fell with relentless fury. The town was beginning to show signs of life as a new day dawned in the winter of 1880. Unnoticed in the early-morning light, a scrappy-looking fox terrier sought shelter from the harsh winter conditions. Sliding his scrawny body through an opening that promised warmth, the mutt shook the snow out of his wiry brown-and-white fur and sniffed out a spot to rest his weary body. Locating a canvas bag, the dog plopped down and drifted off to sleep.  

“Owen, is this your dog?” Fred asked. 

“Nope, not mine,” Owen replied with a shrug. 

“Poor fellow is cold. Let him stay,” another postal worker chimed in. 

“If he is going to be a part of the Albany Post Office, he’s going to need a name,” Fred retorted. 

A voice by the mail bins called, “How about Owney?” 

And so Owney became a mascot of sorts to the workers at the Albany Post Office. 

Owney had an unusual liking for mailbags, which made a comfortable bed. If the workers needed the bag Owney was resting on, he was more than happy to accommodate, and with a shake he would move on to another bag. Finding warmth and friendship within the post office walls, Owney was happy to call this his new home.

When spring finally came to Albany with a flurry of birdsong and blooming things, Owney decided to accompany his precious mailbags on their journey to and from the train station. One day Owney boarded the train along with the mailbags. His postal service friends in Albany were quite relieved when Owney came home a few days later. From that point, travel became a regular part of Owney’s life. Concerned for their four-legged coworker, the post office staff in Albany had a special collar made and put on Owney that read “Owney, Albany P.O., N.Y.”

During the next 11 years Owney became a widely traveled dog. He made trips by railway car from New York to California and back again. When the train arrived in a town, Owney would follow the mail wagon loaded with mailbags. Once ready to hit the road again, he would follow the mailbags back to the railway car and hop in, off to a new adventure. 

In each town Owney stopped, he was given a tag of some kind. The buttons and pins would jingle and clank when he finally arrived back in Albany. The tag collection eventually became so large that the postmaster general presented Owney with a special coat on which to pin the tags and the honor of being the official mascot of the Railway Mail Service. 

It was widely known that even though Owney was covered in mementos and names from various destinations, he belonged to the Albany Post Office. His friends there gave him the freedom to travel and experience many adventures, but they were always eager to welcome him back home. 

Owney’s story provides many similarities to the Christian journey. The world will try to pin lots of different labels on us. Some labels may describe physical appearance, such as tall, short, dark skin, light skin, curly or straight hair. Other labels describe strengths or weaknesses, like sporty, tech-savvy, and studious. Still other labels may be hurtful or unkind. Carrying around all the labels others give us can wear us down and even become confusing. 

Take a breath, though. We don’t have to worry about all those labels that may have been pinned on us, because the only ones that really matter are the ones that God gives us. How do we find those labels? By looking in God’s Word, of course! 

In the Bible we find a treasure trove of truth labels that God “pins” on us. We can rest assured that these are accurate and given in love. We can base our thoughts and self-worth on these labels. So what exactly are some of the labels that God places on you? Glad you asked! Here are just a few. 

God says that you are: 

fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14)
chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19)
more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
loved always (Romans 8:38, 39) 
a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
a branch of the True Vine (John 15:5)
created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) 

Now it’s your turn. What labels of truth can you find in God’s Word? Wear those labels proudly into a world that needs to be shown the love of a God who is always waiting to welcome us back home—just as the Albany postal workers always welcomed a scruffy little fox terrier so many years ago.

Katie Flores is a freelance writer from Maryland and owner of a dog who loves to chase mail trucks.