Is It True A Newfoundland Helped Save A Lifeboat Of Titanic Passengers? Here's What We Know

When thinking of the Titanic, many people picture the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Dog lovers may specifically remember the scenes that include dogs in the first half of the movie. While the luxury ship did in fact sail with 12 dogs, a source from 1912 makes another canine report about that fateful night. It claims that a black Newfoundland named Rigel was among the dogs that survived — after helping to save passengers from the ocean. However, is this account true?

Legend has it Rigel belonged to the Titanic's First Officer William Murdoch and ended up stranded in the ocean after the vessel sank, along with hundreds of passengers. The story goes on to say that the giant dog managed to survive the icy waters because of his thick double coat and swimming ability. It also states that he managed to bark loudly enough to get the attention of the captain on the rescue boat RMS Carpathia, alerting him to the location of people still clinging to life.

Not all dogs like to swim, but Newfoundlands are natural swimmers. In fact, this breed is known for its incredible swimming skills. After news broke of the Titanic's demise, knowledge of these breed attributes likely added authenticity to the Rigel narrative for audiences, but facts involving the ship's passengers and Carpathia's crew tell another story.

The original 1912 report appeared in the New York Herald and describes how Rigel was rescued from the ocean with a group of passengers. The article adds that the dog was later adopted by a Carpathia sailor named Jonas Briggs. Officer Murdoch, the alleged original owner, did not survive. 

The feel-good tale of a dog that helped save lives during an infamous tragedy in history is one we all wish were true. However, none of the 700 survivors' accounts include any information about a heroic dog that aided in their rescue. There's also no history of anyone named Jonas Briggs being aboard the Carpathia on the night of April 15, 1912, or evidence that Officer Murdoch ever owned a dog matching Rigel's description.

It's possible that Rigel didn't exist at all and was completely fabricated by the reporter or by Briggs — if he was a real person — the reporter's alleged source for the story. The only claim related to surviving dogs of the Titanic that was proven to be true is that the survivors included more popular breeds of the 1910s; two Pomeranians and a Pekingese, all of whom boarded a lifeboat.