Haunted Montreal Blog #131 – The Dog-Faced Man of Griffintown & Headless Mary Recap

Welcome to the one hundred and thirty-first installment of the Haunted Montreal Blog!

With over 600 documented ghost stories, Montreal is easily the most haunted city in Canada, if not all of North America. Haunted Montreal dedicates itself to researching these paranormal tales, and the Haunted Montreal Blog unveils a newly researched Montreal ghost story on the 13th of every month!

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Our newest tour, Colonial Secrets of Old Montreal, has launched and now runs every Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm in English and 4pm in French. Meanwhile our full slate or outdoor walking tours and paranormal investigations is up and running for the summer season.

Our Haunted Pub Crawl continues to run every Sunday at 3pm in English, and the last Sunday of each month at 2pm in French.

More information in our Company News Section.

After a successful Mary Gallagher event, we’ve decided to stay in Griffintown and take a look at another legend from the neighbourhood’s shantytown days: The Dog-Faced Man.

Haunted Research

In the 1886, the citizens of Griffintown began to panic after numerous reports surfaced of a “Dog-Faced Man” wreaking havoc in the neighbourhood. Montreal newspapers variously described it as an “apparition”, a “strange being”, a “terror inspiring hybrid”, a “departed person”, a “creature” and the “mystery”.

After frantic citizens rushed to Police Station No. 7 to report their sightings, officers set out to try and arrest the creature – to no avail. As one of the greatest Griffintown urban legends of the 1800s, many people tried to identify who or what was behind the mysterious dog-headed man plaguing the rundown neighborhood.

Dog-faced men have appeared throughout global history since antiquity. Stories of dog-headed humans (also known as Cynocephali) are among the world’s oldest and most widespread legends. Indeed, they have appeared across Greek, Roman, medieval European, and Chinese histories.

One early account of a dog-headed man was actually a Catholic martyr. Saint Christoper, who lived sometime in the middle 3rd century to the early 4th century, has many legends attributed to him.

According to the medieval Irish Passion of St. Christopher, “This Christopher was one of the Dog-heads, a race that had the heads of dogs and ate human flesh.”

As the story goes, once he converted to Catholicism, he drew the ire of the Roman Emperor Decius. He would eventually be beheaded by imperial authorities after miraculously surviving many execution attempts.

Later, in the 13th Century, famous explorer Marco Polo claimed to have encountered dog-headed people on the Andaman Islands. He described them as cruel cannibals with heads like mastiffs who grew their own spices.

In the following century. two dog-headed men appear in the 1300 Hereford Mappa Mundi. They are labelled as “Gigantes,” the Latin word for giants.

This famous medieval world map depicts the canine creatures in the remote regions of Asia, warning travelers of their presence.

In the 16th-century, a Spanish nobleman named Petrus Gonsalvus is remembered for living with congenital hypertrichosis (also known as “werewolf syndrome”). The rare genetic condition caused excessive hair to grow over his face and body. His life has often been linked to the famous story of Beauty and the Beast.

In the late 1800s, dog-faced men were highly sought after by circuses such as P. T. Barnum and Baileys for freak shows. At the time of the Griffintown sightings in 1886, citizens were likely aware of Russian sideshow performer with congenital hypertrichosis named “Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy”.

His real name was Fedor Jeftichew and P.T. Barnum brought him to the United States of America in 1884 to boost his career. Ironically, while his persona of Jo-Jo only growled at spectators, Jeftichew was well-educated and spoke English, German and Russian.

He became internationally famous under his stage name and was considered one of the best-known sideshow performers of the late nineteenth century.

In other words, at the time of the Griffintown sightings, many residents had likely heard all sorts of wild tales of dog-headed men. This could have fired up people’s imaginations

The first story in Griffintown surfaced in the Montreal Daily Post in February 1886. Titled THE DOG FACED MAN. HE LEAVES ST. GABRIEL AND VISITS GRIFFINTOWN, the article stated:

“The sensation caused in St. Gabriel village by the sudden appearance of a “mystery” in the form of a man with a dog’s head has not yet subsided, and peace and tranquility will hardly be restored for some time. It was alleged that parties had been arrested on suspicion as being guilty of playing this practical joke, but such is not the case. Having created a disturbance and excitement in St. Gabriel village for up wards of two weeks, the dog faced party now appears in Griffintown.”

The article then brought up specific sightings of the creature:

“On Saturday night, about 11.30 o’clock, two men were returning home by way of Ottawa street, when they suddenly paused with fright at seeing the subject of their conversation – the “mystery” – in front of them. As may be imagined, they did not wait to make an investigation, but took to their heels. This adventure was circulated, and soon became the general topic of conversation. Last night again, about 10:30 o’clock, the apparition was seen at the corner of Young and Ottawa streets by several persons, who were too frightened to investigate. It is said that it was chased into an old building at the corner of Ottawa and Young streets on Sunday night, to find any traces of the supposed spirit.”

Walking through the Griff at night in 1886 could be very frightening. Gas lamps or coal-oil lamps were located at intersections and spaced 100 – 150 feet apart on streets, creating a dark and flickering eerie environment. The ramshackle buildings, spooky alleyways and high crime rate only added to the sense of insecurity of being out at night.

As such, many Griffintown residents were terrified of encountering the dog-faced man and either avoided going out after sundown or travelled at night in groups through the dark streets for mutual protection.

The Montreal Daily Post article concluded:

“The superstitious element are at the highest pitch of excitement and are thoroughly satisfied that the spirit of some departed person is travelling around. The timid folks are keeping good hours and for the past day are not anxious to stroll around the streets after seven or eight o’clock at the latest.”

As the days passed, the rumours and hysteria began to build. The police and some of the braver citizens launched investigations and speculated who or what might be behind the disturbance. Efforts were made to calm the public with some officials even claiming the whole story was a fabrication.

The Montreal Daily Post soon posted a follow-up articled titled THE DOG-FACED MAN. HIS APPEARANCE AT THE BONAVENTURE DEPOT — A CARTER’S FRIGHT — MR. BAIN SEES THE MYSTERY:

“The stories narrated regarding the appearance of the dog-faced man, although by the great majority of people believed as without foundation, are becoming more interesting and widely circulated. As previously reported in The Post, he remained for some time in St. Gabriel village and then appeared in Griffintown. Remarkable incidents are told of his doings during his stay in that place, and the sensation caused among the timid element. The whole affair was regarded as a fabrication, but several men have received such a fright that they are lying sick in bed as a result.”

The newspaper gave the following example:

“In confirmation of the above it may be said that yesterday morning about a quarter to one the genial motorman of No. 7 electric station, Young street, was disturbed by the sudden entrance of Mr. Patrick Bain, who resides on Murray street, in a frightened and trembling condition. He asked for several liniments, but on being requested by Sergeant Crowe to explain the cause of his agitation, he said that he encountered the dog-faced man at the corner of Young and Ottawa streets. He gave a thorough description of the strange being, and when he became sufficiently pacified his story was listened to. He said that he met the mystery at the corner and asked him who he was, receiving in reply a growl. The affair then disappeared in the yard at the rear of a grocery store near by. Sergeant Crowe, with the reserve men, instituted a search, but found nothing.”

The journalist then explained:

“They, however, met several men armed with sticks who narrated another tale, in the effect that an hour previous to the incident just mentioned the “mystery” created a sensation at the Bonaventure depot, and they were in pursuit of it. A carter named Bowes, who was on St. James street West, near the depot, received such a shock that he fell from his seat in the sleigh, and, it is alleged, sustained a fracture to the arm. No matter how doubtful the reports concerning this strange affair may be, there remains something to solve before the prevalent sensation subsides.”

On Saturday, March 6, The Montreal Daily Post published another article on the topic, this one titled THAT DOG-FACED MAN. A CARTER’S PRANKS—CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING THE MYSTERY. In this publication, there was speculation that a copycat was at work:

“As regards the dog-faced man, whose mischievous deeds are becoming widely circulated throughout the city, and all the topic of general conversation, it may be said that parties are now imitating the original party’s deeds, as may be seen by the following which is received on good authority:— A few nights ago a carter at the Bonaventure depot arranged a piece of cloth into a mask and placing it over his face, commenced pulling the sleigh robes off the sleighs of his confreres. The latter could not account for the mysterious doings and decided to watch. They finally succeeded in catching what they supposed to be the dog faced man, but who turned out to be one of their fellow carters.”

The same edition also featured a letter to the Editor by a man named Angus C. MacDonell, M.D., who tried to put the story to bed.

“To the Editor of The Post:

DEAR SIR,—As one of the many attempts to solve the “mystery” of the dog-headed man, I may relate the following facts:—A facetious neighbor of mine (a farrier), when I was living in St. Joseph street some years ago, made himself a cap out of a wolf’s head which he used to wear on his jollification sleigh drives, and with his shaggy grey fur coat looked like a veritable gigantic wolf, bearing the reins in his paws. It is not unlikely that a similar cap, worn by some mischievous scamp, is the cause of the trouble, and no doubt he enjoys the joke immensely. The sudden disappearance of the apparition is easily accounted for by the simple fact that no scared person, credulous enough to believe in the existence of ghosts and fairies, would care to look a second time at the object of his fright.”

Over a month later, on Thursday, April 15, The Daily Witness reported that the mystery had finally been resolved. The article was titled THE DOG-FACED MAN FOUND. SERGEANT HILTON SOLVES THE MYSTERY – HE SEES THE APPARITION AND MORALIZES:

“Sergeant Hilton, of No. 2 Station, thinks that he has solved the wonderful mystery that has enveloped several localities in this city, and caused a reign of terror” among the timid living there, namely, the identity of the notorious dog faced man. Since the Sergeant started on his fruitless search for the terror inspiring hybrid he has been on the look out for it, but lately the creature has apparently avoided being seen for some reason, presumably best known to itself. A few nights ago, as the sergeant was passing the corner of Delormier avenue and Notre Dame street, he saw lying on the sidewalk what he took to be the body of a man, but which, on closer inspection, proved to be an enormous Newfoundland dog, the property of a saloon keeper who lives on that corner. It was on this identical corner where the three men were so badly frightened by the alleged hybrid in question. Besides having the appearance of a man in the position it lies, the dog has habit of standing on its hind legs against fences and looking around at people as they pass, and in the dark would much resemble a dog-faced man. This mistake, the Sergeant says, is particularly liable to happen when the persons who see the dog come out of the above saloon with more whiskey than they can conveniently carry in their head, and the brain in a condition to transform any object into anything else.”

The following day, The Montreal Daily Star, published an article confirming the story. Simply titled The Dog-Faced Man, the text read as follows:

“Sergeant Hilton believes he has solved the mystery of the dog-faced man. It appears that it is nothing more than a large Newfoundland dog which has the habit of standing on its hind legs against fences. It looks around at people as they pass, and in the dark one might easily mistake it for a dog-faced man.”

However, the explanation did not bury the story. Skeptical residents noted that the corner of Delormier Avenue and Notre Dame Streets, where the Newfoundland dog was spotted, is far of the east of Griffintown.

Given that most sightings occurred near the corner of Young and Ottawa streets, many questioned if Sergeant Hilton was simply trying to put the story to rest to quell the fear.

The story of Griffintown’s dog-faced man did not truly die until June 27, 1879. That was the day Montreal experienced the most sensational murder of the century in Griffintown itself.

When sex worker Mary Gallagher was hacked apart and beheaded with an axe in a tenement house on the corner of William and Murray streets, all conversation turned to the murder scandal.

Indeed, it is still being talked about to this very day, with reports that her ghost returns to the site every seven years in search of her missing head.

The paranormal event recently happened on June 27, 2026 and Haunted Montreal was threre to welcome her back.

The activities started at 8 p.m. with a candlelight vigil where guests could light a candle an say a prayer for Mary Gallagher.

At 8:30 p.m., talented Mohawk artist MC Show unveiled a maquette of a proposed statue on the corner of William and Murray Streets to commemorate the Irish legend. It features four children leaving candies for Headless Mary’s ghost in an attempt to protect themselves from her wrath.

Plans are now underway to create a full sized statue in bronze as a permanent commemoration to mark the site, as mentioned in The Eastern Door newspaper.

Following the unveilling, Haunted Montreal offered free storytelling sessions and then a paranormal investigation leading up to midnight. While nobody saw Headless Mary, unlike in 2019 when there were four witnesses, some strange things did happen.

Firstly, an image was taken of the entrance of Pavillion F, the new building on the site of the house where Mary Gallagher was murdered in 1879. The photographer later noticed something unusual and zoomed in, revealing what could be a headless ghost in a long dress trying to enter the building.

Given that according to the legend she returns to look for her missing head, it is entirely possible she was trying to access the building on the site where she was decapitated.

Later, at midnight, when Headless Mary traditionally returns, clients noted flickering lights in Pavillion F, cameras malfunctioning and the sound of explosions, which may have been fireworks. One guest claimed:

“When me and other people were in a circle watching the paranormal equipment and asking questions I felt a light tap on my back thinking someone wanted me to move so they could see better and when I turned around no one was there. Maybe my imagination maybe not. Who knows?”

After a thorough investigating, Haunted Montreal believes that the ghost of Mary Gallagher’s return was inconclusive. Her next scheduled appearance is in 2033.

Returning to the main story, whether the dog-faced man of Griffintown was a real creature, a person with werewolf syndrome, a deranged prankster or just the result of wild imaginations will likely never be known.

What is known is that for several terrifying months in 1886 the citizens of Griffintown were subjected to sightings of the monster, wild rumours, rampant speculation and various police investigations.

Whether or not the dog-faced man will ever return to the newly gentrified Griffintown remains to be seen.

Company News

Haunted Montreal has now fully launched Colonial Secrets of Old Montreal. This indigenous-led daytime tour hosted by Sophie-Claude Miller sets its sights on smashing the tourist gaze.

It runs every Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm in English and at 4pm in French throughout July and August. Get your tickets now!

We are running Haunted Old Montreal in English Wednesdays through Sundays in July, and Tuesdays through Sundays in August. Haunted Griffintown, Haunted Mountain, and Haunted Downtown will alternate in English on Fridays in July and Saturdays in August.

In French, we are running Vieux-Montréal hanté every Friday and Mont-Royal hanté every Saturday during July and August.

Paranormal Investigations in Sainte-Antoine Cemetery and Colonial Old Montreal have returned, and are joined this year by a new Old Montreal investigation focused on spirits from the New France Era.

Meanwhile, our Haunted Pub Crawl runs every Sunday at 3pm in English (except for June 19th due to the World Cup Final) and the last Sunday of each month in French at 2pm. Come have some spirits with some spirits!

Private tours for any of our experiences can be booked at any time based on the availability of our actors.

Clients can request any date, time, language and operating tour. These tours are based on the availability of our actors and start at $250 for small groups of up to 8 people. Email info@hauntedmontreal.com to book a private tour!

You can also bring the Haunted Montreal experience to your office party, house, school or event by booking one of our Travelling Ghost Storytellers today.

Hear some of the spookiest tales from our tours and our blog told by a professional actor and storyteller. You provide the venue, we provide the stories and storyteller. Find out more and then contact info@hauntedmontreal.com

In other news, if you want to send someone a haunted experience as a gift, you certainly can!

We are offering Haunted Montreal Gift Certificates through our website and redeemable via Eventbrite for any of our in-person or virtual events (no expiration date).

Our online shop is offline for the next few months. If you would like to purchase any Haunted Montreal-branded t-shirts or mugs in the meantime, please contact us at info@hauntedmontreal.com

Holly and Dr. Mab are back! Now part of Stygian Media, they will continue releasing Haunted Montreal videos based on our blogs in English and French among other horror-themed content.

Please like, subscribe and hit the bell!

Haunted Montreal also has temporarily altered its blog experience due to a commitment on a big writing project! Until further notice, we will be offering updates on old stories every second month and the regular blog service alternating.

Haunted Montreal would like to thank all our clients who attended a ghost walk, haunted pub crawl, paranormal investigation or virtual event!

If you enjoyed the experience, we encourage you to write a review on our Tripadvisor page and/or on Google Reviews – something that really helps Haunted Montreal to market its tours.

Lastly, if you would like to receive the Haunted Montreal Blog on the 13th of each month, please sign up to our mailing list.

Coming up on August 13: Update on Maison Pierre du Calvet

In July 2017, Haunted Montreal reported on Maison Pierre du Calvet, a well-known haunted house in Old Montreal. Constructed in 1725, the ancient home most recently served as a spooky bed and breakfast frequented by celebrities and ghost hunters. Today, the building is being transformed into the latest pavilion of the PHI Centre, an organization and museum that promotes contemporary artists. With a postmodern design that combines historic structures with glassy walls, many are wondering how the ghosts of the original home will react to the new museum.

Author:

Donovan King is a postcolonial historian, teacher, tour guide and professional actor. As the founder of Haunted Montreal, he combines his skills to create the best possible Montreal ghost stories, in both writing and theatrical performance. King holds a DEC (Professional Theatre Acting, John Abbott College), BFA (Drama-in-Education, Concordia), B.Ed (History and English Teaching, McGill), MFA (Theatre Studies, University of Calgary) and ACS (Montreal Tourist Guide, Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec). He is also a certified Montreal Destination Specialist.