Pep (dog)

Pep

Mugshot of Pep, 1924
Species	Canis familiaris
Breed	Labrador Retriever[a]
Sex	Male
Born	c. 1923
Died	1930 (aged 6–7) Graterford, Pennsylvania, US
Occupation	Prison dog, therapy dog
Training	Rat-catching
Residence	Grey Towers
Years active	1924–1930
Known for	Falsely accused of murdering a cat
Criminal status	Pardoned (1929)
Conviction(s)	Murder
Criminal penalty	Life sentence[b]
Details
State(s)	Pennsylvania
Date apprehended	August 1924
Imprisoned at	Eastern State Penitentiary

Pep (c. 1923 – 1930) was a black Labrador Retriever^[a] who was falsely accused of murdering a cat.^[1] He belonged to Pennsylvania governor Gifford Pinchot and was sent to live alongside the inmates of the Eastern State Penitentiary in August 1924. Pep was given inmate number C-2559 and had both his mugshot and pawprints taken. While he was logged into the prison ledger as having received a life sentence for murder, in reality he was given to the prison by Pinchot to boost the morale of the inmates.

Governor Pinchot was inspired to give Pep to the penitentiary after Maine governor Percival Baxter sent his collie "Governor" to the Thomaston State Prison. Newspaper articles following the arrival of Pep at the prison wrongly characterized him as a "cat-murderer" who had been sentenced to life in prison by the governor. The governor received hundreds to thousands of letters complaining about his apparent ill-treatment of the animal. Pep lived at the penitentiary for several years. He chased rats in the prison corridors and had to be put on a diet in his later years. He was later transferred to the Graterford Prison Farm and died in 1930.

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