Movie star Rin Tin Tin died a peaceful death August 10, 1932.

German Shepherd (Canis lupus familiaris)
Issued by France in 2011 as part of their Dog Breeds set
Since there are no good stamps devoted to Rin, I’ve opted for a stamp from his birthplace

The super star German Shepherd was born in France in 1918. One of five puppies and their mother rescued by Corporal Lee Duncan of the U.S. Army Air Service. He was scouting locations for a new airfield for the 135th Aero Squadron when he came upon badly damaged dog kennel. The dogs were being raised for the Imperial German Army, but abandoned when artillery fire became too fierce. Left behind was the starving mother and her new born puppies. 

Duncan rescued them and nursed them back to health. He gifted the mother to an officer and gave three pups to fellow soldiers, keeping two – Rin Tin Tin and Nanette. 

Corporal Duncan smuggled Rin Tin Tin and Nanette aboard the ship taking him back to the US. When he landed, the dogs were temporarily given over to a breeder and dog trainer during their processing period. While there, Nanette became ill with pneumonia died. Duncan was give a second female German Shepherd and named her Nanette II. Once reclaimed, Duncan and his dogs headed for California by train.

Determined to have his athletic and photogenic Rin Tin Tin appear in movies, Duncan began walking him up and down a street near Hollywood’s many studios, chatting up anyone connected to films. Eventually he was in the right place at the right time when the director of the 1922 The Man from Hell’s River became desperate for a wolf replacement. The wolf they were using proved to be uncooperative and difficult to work with. Rin Tin Tin, on the other hand, was a happy, obedient dog who excelled in the the role. Not only that, he looked wonderful on screen. More offers followed. 

The big dog proved to be a fan favourite and soon landed a staring role in 1923. 

Rin Tin Tin would go on to star in 29 movies.  

Before silent films surrendered to sound, Rin-tin-tin was earning $6,000 a week.  The dog received bags of fan mail, keeping publicists busy sending out photos, each stamped with a pawprint.  Millions regarded Rin-tin-tin as we all do our own pooches.  “He is a human dog,” one fan wrote, “human in the real big sense of the word.”
HOLLYWOOD’S TOP DOG — RIN-TIN-TIN

People flocked to theatres to see their favourite star in both feature films and multi part serials.  They couldn’t get enough of the noble, brave dog.

Why was he called “Rin Tin Tin” in those films? Dog names don’t seem hard to think of. His name was used because giving him a different name, even within the fictional world of a particular film, seemed to fritter away some of his star power. Rin Tin Tin was not just an actor, but also a kind of franchise, no matter what character he was playing. Whether he was playing a half-breed wild dog in Alaska, say, or a soldier dog in World War I or a borax miner’s companion dog somewhere out west, he was always, foremost, Rin Rin Tin.

Using his name also made it seem that Rin Tin Tin existed within the film and outside of the film at the same time. Within the film, he was a cinematic character in some cinematic predicament, existing in some other place or time. Outside the film, he was Rin Tin Tin, the famous actor dog. 
Rin Tin Tin and the Power of Story | by Drew Coffman | The Extratextual | Medium

On a warm August day, Rin Tin Tin let our a peculiar bark, alerting Duncan that something was wrong. He rushed to his dog’s side, only to find him dying. Obituaries appeared in all the major newspapers, including the New York Times. Rin’s press agent claimed the dog died in the Jean Harlow’s arms. 

“RIN TIN TIN DIES AT 14 ON EVE OF ‘COMEBACK’; Film Dog Had Been Signed for Talkie — Son Trained as Under- study Will Take the Role.”  NYT August 11, 1932, Page 17  

 He was buried at his home, with his funeral attended by many celebrities. 

Hopefully this satisfies someone’s Dog of the Day quota. Mea Culpa. 

2024’s Stamp of the Day featured Emperor of Ethiopia on August 10, 1270