Anaelle S.

September 25, 2022

Man’s Best Friend in War

What is fluffy, loyal, cute, and man’s best friend? A dog! Did you know that dogs are the #1 pet in America? But dogs are also significant members in the armed forces. Let’s learn about dogs in the military!

One of America’s greatest animal war heroes is Stubby, who served our country in WWI. Stubby was born in 1916. He was a stray, hanging out with Connecticut soldiers.

Then he was adopted by an American soldier named Robert Conroy. Conroy named Stubby after his stubby tail.

When the soldiers were called for duty, Conroy was able to sneak Stubby on board the ship that took his division to France. Conroy taught Stubby the drills Conroy’s division learned in training. Stubby helped warn soldiers about gas attacks, tracked down wounded soldiers, and even captured a German soldier!

Stubby served our country in WWI for about eighteen months and was in seventeen battles on the Western Front. After the war, Stubby was a celebrity, leading parades and meeting US presidents Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge. Stubby even became the football mascot of Georgetown University! Stubby lived with Conroy until his death in 1926.

Military Working Dogs (MWDs) are now very important members in all military forces. War dogs have come a long way ever since humans first used them thousands of years ago. Back then dogs were used as weapons to scare the enemy. The dogs were released in front of the army by the hundreds! They terrified the army. Today, MWDs keep servicemen and women safe by, locating bombs, guarding military bases, and tracking down injured soldiers in war.

The role of dogs in the military expanded during WWII. A civilian group, during that time, called “Dogs for Defense” encouraged the military to enlist family pets in the armed forces. Thousands of American families offered their dogs for the war effort. At first about thirty breeds were trained for army, navy, and coastal services. Later on, the list was narrowed down to seven breeds- Belgian Sheepdogs, Doberman Pinschers, Malamutes, American Eskimo dogs, farm collies, German Shepherds, and Siberian Huskies. More than nine thousand dogs served in WWII, saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. After the war, the dogs that survived were returned to their former owners or were up for adoption.

Throughout the years MWDs have saved so many lives. Thank God for dogs!

(P.S. – Sorry if it sounds a little choppy. As indicated on the top left corner, I wrote this two years ago. I’ve improved a lot since then!)