A Late Victorian medallion presented to a poodle named Zulu by an insurance company for his heroic efforts during a house fire has sold at a Woolley & Wallis auction in Salisbury. The pre-sale estimate was £400 – £600 ($536 – $804). It sold for £762 ($1,021).
The little black poodle named Zulu barked when a fire broke out at the Glasgow home of Mr. Montague W.Baird, drawing attention to the fire when it still small enough to control. It was the night of December 26th, 1897, the Feast of Stephen, and the insurance company was so grateful for his decisive action in saving them from a really big bill they gave him a medal.
The medallion is sterling silver, topped with a pierced ribbon finial. On the front is a handsome enamel black poodle in the center with an inscription below that reads: “Presented to ‘Zulu’ by Alliance Assurance Company For Services Rendered 26th Dec 1897.” On the reverse is the crest of Alliance Assurance: a castle on a hill with a banner bearing the logo “Multi societate tutiores,” meaning “safer together in a group.”
The lot comes with 13 original letters by Mr. Baird and the insurance company representatives.
Stuart Lawrey, the secretary of the Assurance Company, wrote to Baird on February 2, 1898:
“With reference to our recent conversation, we beg to state that we have made further inquiries into the matter and we are overbound to admit the indebtedness of the company to your black poodle, Zulu, for his behavior on the occasion of the recent fire in your dwelling house. Without doubt, the dog exhibited exceptional sagacity in his persistent and successful endeavor to call the attention of your servants to the outbreak. We cannot say to what serious dimensions the fire might have attained and consequent danger to, and possibly loss of, life but for this little animal’s timely warning and under the circumstances which are very unique, we should be happy if you would obtain a silver medal for your dog collar. Bearing an inscription and suitable for the occasion and recording the interesting event, the expense of which we shall be very pleased to meet.”
The medallion on its foot and pedestal is just three inches high, so it’s possible the medal alone was worn by Zulu as a collar ornament, but given how it’s mounted, I suspect it was for his trophy case only.
