Wild About Postage: Animal and Pet Stamps

From treasured pets to wondrous wildlife, animals have always been near and dear to Americans’ hearts. For well over a century, the U.S. Postal Service has helped people express their love for creatures great and small in the form of postage stamps. One of the first to be featured on a stamp was, appropriately, the bald eagle, which appeared on 10- and 30-cent issuances all the way back in 1869. Since that time, USPS has issued a veritable menagerie of stamps depicting everything from cats and dogs to songbirds and elephants. 

With such a long and rich history of animal stamps to choose from, selecting a favorite would be like picking between kittens and puppies — impossible! Join us as we highlight classic animal issuances from the recent past, some of which are still available for purchase if you want to add a little cuteness to your correspondence.

Squirrels & Chipmunks in Snow (2026)

These brand new stamps celebrate some of winter’s most determined little dynamos. Featuring photographs of an eastern gray squirrel, an American red squirrel, and two eastern chipmunks, the lively designs salute the nonstop hustle, quick thinking, and cozy instincts that help these small creatures thrive when the temperature drops. Available in booklets of 20, they’re a fun, spirited way to add a dash of winter magic and charm to cards and letters all year long. 

Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult (2026)

The Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult stamps continue a long tradition of featuring these iconic birds of prey on U.S. stamps. Since those first issuances in 1869, bald eagles have appeared multiple times on stamps at many different rates, as well as on stamped envelopes and stamped cards with designs as varied as an art deco illustration and a photograph of a carving from a wall plaque. This five-stamp issuance features realistic illustrations by noted ornithologist David Allen Sibley of bald eagles at different life stages and is available for purchase in panes of 20.

Baby Wild Animals (2025)

Eye-popping graphic illustrations of 10 baby wild animals adorn these endearing stamps. The animals — fox, owl, deer, seal, rabbit, raccoon, bear, skunk, bobcat, and chipmunk — range widely across the United States. Artist Tracy Walker created this baby-animal menagerie in bold shapes of solid color, in a palette of rust orange, cornflower blue, pale ecru, black, and white. Each animal appears alongside details of its habitat, with flowers, leaves, water, and other natural elements also rendered in the artist’s fresh iconic style. The Baby Wild Animals stamps are available in booklets of 20.

Horses (2024)

This pane of 20 stamps features photographs of five individual horses. These majestic animals are known for their loyalty, industriousness, and steadfast character. Vital to the early economic development of the United States in key areas such as transportation, farming, and manufacturing, horses are now valued for their roles in sports and recreation, beloved as companions, and admired for their timeless beauty. The stamps are sold out, but you can still snag a collectible product:

Endangered Species (2023)

Issued in 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, these 20 stamps featuring endangered animals pay tribute to wildlife the ESA works to protect. The colorful and charismatic endangered creatures presented on the stamps were selected from among more than 13,000 in Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark” project, the photographer’s enduring global mission to document as many animal species as possible. Those featured on the stamps are a sampling of endangered animals found within the 50 states and American territories and possessions, and also include two North American species living near U.S. borders. 

Elephants (2022)

Americans have been intrigued by elephants since the first one arrived on our shores in 1796. These creatures fascinate us because they display a social complexity and full emotional range that reflect those of humans. Elephants, like people, are among the longest living land mammals. They practice teamwork, demonstrate the capacity for empathy and grief, and establish lifelong bonds of family. This stamp features a fanciful digital illustration by Rafael López of an elephant interacting with its young calf that depicts the affectionate nature of these beloved animals. Two stylized plants and a bright orange sun add whimsy and color to this cute, lighthearted stamp.

Otters in Snow (2021)

Otters in Snow will warm your heart and brighten your day even in the depth of the chilliest winter. This issuance features four different scenes of the alert and playful North American river otter reveling in a white landscape. The original illustrations by John Burgoyne were rendered in pen and ink with watercolor, in a color palette consisting of shades of brown for the otters, with black facial features and crosshatching. The wintry background is white, with blue water, light blue and violet shadows, and black crosshatching. 

Heritage Breeds (2021)

These stamps pay tribute to heritage breeds, pre-industrial farm animals prized for their versatility, adaptability, and unique genetic traits. Heritage breeds of livestock possess a priceless genetic diversity that can help farmers and society at large adapt to variable conditions, ranging from new consumer tastes to a landscape altered by a changing climate. The stamps feature photographs of 10 heritage breeds: the American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, the Narragansett turkey, the Cayuga duck, the San Clemente Island goat, the Mulefoot hog, the Cotton Patch goose, the American Cream draft horse, the Barbados Blackbelly sheep, the Milking Devon cow, and the Wyandotte chicken.

Military Working Dogs (2019)

This issuance honors the nation’s brave and loyal military working dogs. The stamps feature stylized geometric illustrations of four of the canine breeds — German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch shepherd — that commonly serve in America’s armed forces. DKNG Studios created the stamp artwork by first hand-sketching the dogs, then digitally adding basic shapes and layers of color to bring the images to life. The red, white, blue, and gold color scheme represents the American flag and the patriotism displayed by military working dogs. 

Pets (2016)

These stamps celebrate the animals in our lives that bring joy, companionship, and love. Whether your idea of the perfect pet is a loyal dog or a majestic macaw, the Pets Forever® stamps are a wonderful tribute to our animal friends. This issuance showcases 20 existing photographs of different animals taken against white backgrounds by Eric Isselée. Each photograph represents animals we love from these groups: puppies, betta fish, iguanas, hamsters, goldfish, parrots, guinea pigs, tortoises, rabbits, kittens, corn snakes, mice, hermit crabs, chinchillas, gerbils, dogs, parakeets, horses, cats, and geckos.

Songbirds (2014)

Between 4,000 and 4,500 different types of songbirds can be found around the planet, accounting for nearly half of all bird species. Songbirds are identified by their highly developed vocal organs, although some, like the crow, have harsh voices, and others sing rarely, or not at all. The stamps in this issuance feature Robert Giusti’s vibrant illustrations of 10 songbird species. They are the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), the mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), the western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), the painted bunting (Passerina ciris), the Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula), the evening grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus), the scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea), the rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), the American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), and the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).

These are a mere sampling of the many animal-related stamps USPS has issued over the years. If you’d like to share your love of the furry or feathered with the world, you can find your favorite animal stamps online or at your local Post Office.