Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic. They escaped in lifeboats with their owners while most of the ship’s dogs remained behind or were lost in the disaster.
Titanic carried at least 12 dogs during its maiden voyage, though the exact total may have been higher because not every animal was officially recorded. Many were kept in kennels on the boat deck, while some wealthy first-class passengers kept small dogs in their cabins.
The survivors were a Pomeranian owned by Margaret Hays, a Pomeranian belonging to Elizabeth Rothschild, and Sun Yat-Sen, a Pekingese owned by Henry and Myra Harper. Their small size made it easier for their owners to carry them aboard lifeboats without attracting attention.
A common mix-up involves Rigel, a supposed Newfoundland dog said to have helped survivors after the sinking. Modern researchers question whether Rigel was ever aboard Titanic, so he is not counted among the three documented survivors.