Honk Honk, a lively Boston bull terrier, has now been recognised as the very first dog to travel around the entire globe.
Previously, two other dogs had been celebrated for this achievement – Laika, the Russian dog that orbited the Earth aboard the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 in 1957, and Savannah, a rescue dog who walked around the world alongside her owner Tom Turcich between 2015 and 2022.
However, British journalist and author Sally Smith has verified Honk Honk’s incredible feat after uncovering details of his 13-month journey, which began in New Jersey, USA, and took him across Europe and Asia, before returning home in 1910.
“Honk Honk is finally getting the recognition he deserved more than a century ago,” said Sally. “I came across his story while researching for my latest book, The Women Who Went Round the World. Honk Honk was given to Harriet White Fisher, an adventurous American woman, and the first female to drive around the globe by car.
“This little dog made Harriet’s Type 1 Locomobile his home throughout the trip and experienced some incredible adventures along the way.”
Recently surfaced reports reveal that Honk Honk enjoyed exploring the countryside when the car was moving at a slow pace, fearlessly dashing into jungles to bark at wild animals. He also formed friendships with many people in the different countries he visited.
“He seemed like a gentle Bull Terrier, though he had his mischievous moments,” said Sally. “He got into a lot of trouble for munching on delicate begonias in an Italian garden and had several escapades in India, particularly with jackals, chipmunks, and goats.”
During the long expedition, Honk Honk had a varied diet, eating soup and bread when bones were unavailable. Remarkably, he stayed healthy and avoided dangers such as snake bites, all while keeping close to the car on its global journey. He even checked into grand hotels with Harriet across Asia, where the staff doted on him. At other times, he stood guard outside Harriet’s tent while she slept in remote areas. In Sri Lanka, Harriet adopted a monkey, which caused a brief dispute as Honk Honk had a habit of chasing monkeys. Nevertheless, they soon became friends, with the little monkey even performing somersaults on Honk Honk’s back.
“It’s a truly wonderful story, and I’m still discovering new details about Honk Honk’s remarkable journey,” said Sally. “He was clearly a very happy, resilient, and determined little dog.”
The full account of Harriet White Fisher’s global expedition, including stories of Honk Honk’s adventures, is featured in Sally’s new book The Women Who Went Round the World, published by The History Press, available now in bookshops and online outlets. Sally hopes to uncover even more information about Honk Honk’s travels to create a full biography for him.