In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) permitted firemen to keep one dog, one cat, or singing birds in their firehouse. These animals, in addition to the horses that pulled the apparatus, provided companionship for the men, who were required to work and live at their firehouses for weeks at a time. Many fire companies of Old New York broke the rules and welcomed multiple mascots into their firehouses. Some companies also had unique firehouse pets, such as monkeys, goats, and turtles.

Warwick author Peggy Gavan will take readers on a fun historical tour of the FDNY and firefighting in New York City via some amazing, emotive, and oftentimes hilariously absurd stories of the FDNY horses and mascots whose acts of bravery, extraordinary intelligence, and funny antics deserve to be told and preserved.

Signed books will be available for sale. A portion of all sales will be donated to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

About the author:

Peggy Gavan is an editor, NYC tour guide, and volunteer firefighter living in Warwick, NY, with her husband and 3 cats. She is the author of the Hatching Cat NYC website and the award-winning book, The Cat Men of Gotham: Tales of Feline Friendships in Old New York.