Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
about 11 hours ago
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
1 day ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
2 days ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Alaska Juneau Patsy Ann Statue
AO Edited

Patsy Ann Statue

Known as the “Official Greeter of Juneau,” this dog still welcomes ships and their passengers to Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska

Added By
Sydney Rose
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Statue of Patsy Ann   Gillfoto from Juneau, Alaska, United States / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Statue of Patsy Ann   Gillfoto from Juneau, Alaska, United States / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
  carianij2 / Atlas Obscura User
Statue of Patsy Ann   "Crystal Harmony as Patsy Ann awaits" by Gillfoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Statue of Patsy Ann   Unknown author / Public domain
Statue of Patsy Ann   "Patsy Ann" by grepsy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Statue of Patsy Ann   "Patsy Ann" by greyloch is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Statue of Patsy Ann   "Patsy Ann" by Gillfoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Statue of Patsy Ann   "Patsy Ann Statue" by woofiegrrl is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
  Nokility / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the cruise ship dock in Juneau, Alaska, stands the bronze likeness of a Bull Terrier named Patsy Ann. The dog is seated and gazes towards the Gastineau Channel as the incoming ships dock. The statue sits where, for over a decade, Patsy Ann greeted all passengers disembarking onto the Juneau quay and achieved the honorific of the city’s “Official Greeter.”

Patsy Ann was born in Portland, Oregon, on October 12, 1929. She was brought to Juneau as a puppy by her owners. She was all white, and as is sometimes the case with white Bull Terriers, she was completely deaf from birth. Although well cared for, Patsy disliked being indoors and kept as a pet. Upon reaching adulthood, she eschewed domestic life and confinement in the house. She took to roaming the streets of Juneau, spending most of her time exploring the city docks. She became well known and beloved by all of the city’s residents. She never wanted for a treat, a meal, an affectionate rub, or a warm place to sleep. She was also the darling of dockworkers, sailors, and passengers arriving at Juneau’s wharves.

Although deaf and unable to hear a ship’s steam whistle, Patsy Ann had the uncanny ability to know when a ship was arriving in Juneau, even before it could be seen. She would also know the exact dock. No matter where she was or what she was doing, she would rush to the city quays to greet an incoming ship. The ships’ crews always had treats ready for her, and disembarking passengers would eagerly look for the famous white dog.

Despite the often unpredictable ship schedules, townspeople and departing passengers knew that Patsy Ann’s dockside appearance heralded a ship’s imminent arrival. She was never wrong and never missed a ship. When ships anchored out in the harbor, she would sometimes jump into Gastineau Channel and swim out to welcome them. In 1934, the city’s mayor declared her the “Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska.”

As Patsy Ann’s fame spread, she became the most widely photographed dog in the west, with her likeness appearing on hundreds of picture postcards. The stevedores gifted her with a beautifully engraved leather collar but she didn't like wearing it. When not welcoming ships to Juneau, Patsy Ann spent time making rounds around the city. She was fed and coddled by shop owners, hoteliers, restaurant workers, and barkeepers. She even developed a distinctive waddle from the abundance of treats she consumed. Patsy Ann often spent the night bedded down at the Longshoreman’s Union Hall near the docks. When a city ordinance passed requiring all dogs to be licensed, she received a waiver.

Patsy Ann died in her sleep at the Longshoreman’s Union Hall on March 30, 1942. She was 14 years old. The following morning, accompanied by a large group of mourners, Patsy Ann was given a burial at sea. Her body was placed in a small casket and lowered into the Gastineau Channel from a place on the dock where she so often waited for ships – close to the same spot where her statue now sits.

Fifty years later, the “Friends of Patsy Ann” commissioned a statue for placement on the Juneau docks. Anna Burke Harris, an artist from New Mexico, created the sculpture. In casting the bronze, Harris included actual bits of dog hair and fur donated by people from around the world. When the sculpture was transported, Harris fittingly insisted that the statue make at least part of the journey to Alaska by ship. The statue was unveiled on July 3, 1992. Patsy Ann now sits, once again, on her beloved dock and continues to greet the ships and thousands of cruise passengers arriving in the capital city, just as she did so many years ago.

Related Tags

Statues Dogs History & Culture Sculptures Animals

Know Before You Go

The statue is located on the wharf looking out into Gastineau Channel, between Marine Park and the library and parking garage.

Community Contributors

Added By

Sydney Rose

Edited By

danielkd, Nokility, carianij2

  • danielkd
  • Nokility
  • carianij2

Published

September 25, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Patsy Ann Statue
Harbor Way
Juneau, Alaska, 99801
United States
58.298648, -134.405412
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Sealaska Heritage Institute

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Aunt Claudia's Dolls, a Museum

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Aquilean Whale Tail Sculptures

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Juneau

Juneau

Alaska

Places 14

Nearby Places

Sealaska Heritage Institute

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Aunt Claudia's Dolls, a Museum

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Aquilean Whale Tail Sculptures

Juneau, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Juneau

Juneau

Alaska

Places 14

Related Stories and Lists

15 Places That Put the Dog Back in the 'Dog Days'

List

By Gemma Tarlach

Related Places

  • Mangulica and Pulin

    Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia

    Mangulica & Pulin Statue

    Statues of two of Srem's most well-known animals.

  • Bum.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    ‘A Canine Connection’

    This sculpture commemorates Edinburgh's sister city and their respective celebrity dogs.

  • The fountain.

    Fontainebleau, France

    Fontaine de Diane (Fountain of Diana)

    Peeing dogs guard the Roman hunting goddess atop a fountain at France’s Château de Fontainebleau.

  • Chocolate Orange

    York, England

    Terry's Chocolate Orange Sculpture

    A unique tribute to the chocolatey past that helped shape one British city.

  • This curious cat is especially dear to locals.

    La Rochelle, France

    La Maison du Chat (The Cat House)

    No one knows the story behind the mysterious feline perched on this rooftop.

  • A bronze statue of a golden retriever holding two flags in its mouth.

    Ashland, Massachusetts

    Spencer the Marathon Dog Statue

    This sculpture is dedicated to a local therapy dog who later became the official mascot of the 126th Boston Marathon.

  • Odate, Japan

    ‘Homesick Hachiko’

    Another statue of Japan's most famous dog stands in his hometown.

  • Farley Mount Monument

    Hampshire, England

    Farley Mount Monument

    This towering monument is dedicated in memory of a most unusually named, yet heroic, horse.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.