Animals have been seagoing companions for millennia. A museum in Maine documents their stories
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Dogs and cats have accompanied sea voyagers since earliest times, as have other animals. Dogs helped to bring in nets, swim messages between boats and rescue people from water. Cats kept rats under control, thus protecting the food supply. Birds such as ravens were taken on Norse ships to serve as navigational aids because they were good at sensing land. Carrier pigeons delivered messages between ships or back to shore. We don’t think of horses as maritime animals, but they were portrayed on the Bayeux Tapestry in ships as part of William the Conqueror’s invasion force. In later centuries, horses patrolled shores and hauled boats into and out of water.
There are lots of animal-related museums around the world, but perhaps one of the more unusual is the Museum of Maritime Pets, located in Rockland, Maine. Dedicated to the innumerable dogs, cats, horses, birds and other animals who have made a living working with people on fishing boats, cargo ships and military vessels, it was founded in 2006 by historian, animal lover and former museum administrator Patricia Sullivan.
At first, it was a virtual museum, based in Annapolis, Maryland. The internet was young then, and the day after its website went live, Sullivan began receiving emails from people who had served in the military and had mascots on their ships, as well as from animal lovers in countries with strong maritime traditions, such as England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, all of whom were interested in the information about and images of animals at sea.
Sullivan rapidly connected with area animal, history and maritime organizations, including the Coast Guard Museum, the Navy Museum and the Library of Congress. Exhibits at Annapolis City Hall and talks and portable exhibits at libraries, country clubs and local events spread the word far and wide. The Canadian Navy’s Naval and Military Museum loaned an exhibit called “Creature Comforts,” about naval mascots. She set up working water dog demonstrations at a Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, beach.
“It took off really from the very beginning,” Sullivan says. “As social media came into its own, we became more connected.”
The goal was eventually to have an actual building, but costs were high and zoning laws strict in the Annapolis area. Sullivan began looking at other locations, and Rockland came to her attention. The museum now has a location on the water, part of a complex with other museums and near a park.
Permanent exhibits are made up of large panels that combine text and images, featuring such topics as maritime animals and lighthouse mascots. A small library contains books, maritime journals and other printed material available to researchers with advance notice. The museum shop sells books, T-shirts, toys, greeting cards and facsimiles of maritime animal art. Windows overlook the harbor.
Ambassadors at Sea are pets who live on boats or ships around the world. The two newest are Tea (pronounced Tay-ah) and Riki, cats adopted last fall in Rikitea on the French Polynesian island of Mangareva by the crew of the tall ship Picton Castle, headquartered in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. When Sullivan heard about their adoption, she contacted the office and asked if they’d be interested in having their cats be the museum’s new ambassadors.
“They wrote back the next day and said they’d be honored,” Sullivan says. She was delighted since Maine and the Canadian province of Nova Scotia are neighbors.
Can your pet visit the museum with you? With prior permission, Sullivan says. The landlord doesn’t officially permit pets, but as long as Sullivan knows ahead of time, she can arrange for pets to visit. And a large waterfront park nearby is popular with locals and visitors for walks and off-leash play.
“Our museum has universal appeal for anybody who loves animals and the human-animal bond,” Sullivan says. “It’s for anybody who loves animals but is particularly interested in the historical bond of a working relationship with an animal.”
Q&A
How to help
sea turtles
Q: My brother found a tiny baby sea turtle on the beach and carried it out to the water. Was that the right thing to do?
A: Sea turtle hatchlings usually break out of their shells and head for the water between March 1 and Oct. 31. It’s best to let them get there under their own power, but if they’re turned around, blocked by beach chairs or confused by light pollution, they may need a helping hand. Here’s advice on what to do from Stephen J. Divers, DVM, a specialist in zoo and wildlife medicine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
First, if they’re heading toward the surf, leave them alone, but if they’re parallel to the beach or heading away from the surf line, it can be justified to pick them up and place them in the shallows or by the surf. “It should start to go straight out,” Divers says.
If possible, wear a glove or cover your hand in some way to prevent imparting your own bacterial flora or anything else on your skin -- such as sunscreen -- to the animal.
Issues such as light pollution, predation by wild or feral animals and the presence of beach furniture, boats, toys or trash left on the beach can all hinder a young sea turtle’s march toward the sea, but residents and visitors can take steps to help them out without actually having to touch them.
“I think there is a moral obligation to try and resolve those,” Divers says. For instance, you can educate local businesses or your neighbors as to the best ways to reduce light pollution, such as closing shades or curtains at night. Consider joining a turtle watch group that helps to protect nests from predators or people playing in the area. -- Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Making it easier
to ID lost pets
-- With five new microchip scan stations, Maryland’s Baltimore County is helping citizens identify found pets so they can be reunited with their families more quickly. The stations are the first of their kind in the state and are located throughout the county. People who find lost pets can take them to the nearest station to be scanned, then follow available instructions on how to enter an identified microchip number so the pet owner can be contacted.
-- Looking for a new pet dish? Practicality rules. Dishes should be easy to clean and heavy enough that your dog or cat can’t easily tip them over. Stainless steel, stoneware and porcelain are dishwasher-safe, although stoneware and porcelain can chip easily. Dogs with droopy ears may benefit from what’s called a spaniel bowl, which is wider at the bottom than the top, helping to ensure that long ears don’t drag through water or food. Check to make sure ceramic dishes are made in the United States. Glazes applied in some foreign countries may contain toxic substances such as lead.
-- Pregnant women with a cat may be concerned about toxoplasmosis, but some simple precautions can protect them and their baby from infection. Keep cats indoors so they can’t hunt and eat wild prey. A spouse or other family member should scoop the litter box once or twice daily, minimizing risk. If that’s not possible, wear disposable gloves when scooping the box, and wash hands thoroughly after discarding them. Toxoplasmosis can also be acquired from soil, so wear gloves while gardening. Consider having your doctor and your veterinarian run titers on family members, including the cat, to check for immunity. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.