Mittru (USPS)
Ziggy (USPS)
Oona (USPS)
Charlie (USPS)
On Jan. 20, the US Postal Service issued a set of four stamps celebrating the important relationship between dogs and people. The stamps were originally painted on 10-by-6-inch Bristol board by artist and Manhattan native John Thompson, and designed by art director Howard Paine. The collection, the first honoring dogs since 1984, were inspired by real pups. These are their stories.
GUIDE DOG,CHARLIE
Mary Lou Mendez of Syracuse is pictured in the background with her 10 year old black Labrador retriever Charlie, who served as her guide dog for eight years.
Thompson, who held the task of finding the right subjects for this project, visited Mendez and Charlie to take photographs, which he later used for his paintings.
Charlie made a very worthy subject. “I really depended on Charlie to find doors, escalators and elevators and help me navigate airports and newplaces,” saysMendez. “Having Charlie there made things a lot more graceful and effortless. He did his job and was happy.”
THE RAPY DOG, ZIGGY
In order to honor therapy dogs and the comfort they provide, Thompson looked close to home by enlisting his sister-in-law’s dog Ziggy, a Welsh springer spaniel who died last summer at the age of 3. And the choice was fitting.
“Ziggy could make any one feel good, and he seemed to especially like to hang out at the feet of my mother-in-law, Gloria Flaherty, whose legs [and arm] are depicted in the stamp,” says Thompson.
SEARCH & RESCUE DOG, MITTRU
Depicted in his signature working jacket, German Shepherd Mittru, who passed away in November,was a search and rescue dog for 12 years with Cayuga County Highland Search and Rescue. He was responsible for many recoveries, including remains found in Fresh Kills related to Sept. 11.
“He was able tobring much needed closure to many loved ones,” says Christine Buff, Mittru’s owner.
Mittru was featured in twobooks, including “Dog Heroes of September 11th,” and was the recipient of the New York State Senate LibertyAward given for exceptional,heroic and humanitarian achievements.
In the summer of 2008, Thompson met up with Mittru and Buff and the two spent the day taking photos in various placeswhereMittru trained like their local landfill and a wooded field area. “He represents the community of volunteer search and rescue canines that are real professionals,” says Buff.
TRACKING DOG,OONA
Oona—a yellow Labrador owned by Tim Coolbaugh, a dog rescuer and adjunct professor at Syracuse University—represents the tracking dog, which is a canine used by the military to detect mines and bombs.
Though Oona isn’t an actual tracking dog herself, her breed was the perfect fit because, according to Coolbaugh, “Themilitary uses Labs for tracking because they’re smart, easy to train and are eager to please.”
The soldier in the background is John Stewart, who had completed two tours in Iraq and was able to make sure that everything depicted in the painting was accurate.
“I volunteered to get a pair of boots and camo pants and be the handler, but John [Thompson] said no, that everything had to be as accurate aswe could make it,” says Coolbaugh.
Oona died in 2009. “The stamphonors the dogs that work for the military to help keep our troops safe—and I’m gladwe could beapart of that,” says Stewart.