Pompeii Dog

• Found on November 20, 1874
• The dog was a guard dog tied to a post in the house of Marcus Vesonius Primus
• The dog was found tied up in the atrium where it was uncovered to collect rainwater
• The cast shows the dog had a collar around its neck, leading to believe it was tied up, causing it not to flee or run when eruption began
• When the eruption occurred, the ash began to fall in the atrium and as it filled up, the dog was unable to climb higher and suffocated and died from being buried alive
• The twisted body shows it was struggling to get free and died a painful slow death
• The mouth open with some teeth visible can lead one to believe it died like this because it was gasping and struggling for air
• The cast of the dog gives insight to social life of the Romans and that they used dogs much like people do today