At first I thought you might have a thread here about eating crow...

Anyway, I read your link above and thought it would be good to include here those favorite phrases of Dickens' Grip and also the little story about how Grip had died:

"The real Grip,who was a beloved pet of the Dickens children, could talk.
His favorite sayings were:
"Never Say Die"
"Keep up your Spirit"
"Hurrah!"
"Polly put the kettle on, we'll all have tea!"

Grip slept in the stables, usually on horseback.The stables were being repainted and white lead was used back then.

The painters were careful, but Grip being curious in his nature, burned to possess the pound of white lead.When the workmen went to dinner, he ate it all and died. He was stuffed and mounted. Dickens himself made the glass and wood case that he is displayed in. "