Stubby The War Dog

Stubby The War Dog

Juvenile nonfiction
Happy National Dog Day, readers! Now don't you agree that, in
addition to giving attention to every canine who approaches me,
reviewing a great dog book would be a fitting way to celebrate? Knew
you'd agree. Ann Bausum's Stubby The War Dog is a total must read for
anyone, child or adult, who treasures these faithful, furry four-
footed friends.
In 2010 Bausum, a cat person, doing research for another book,
stumbled on information about Stubby.
"The animal's story seemed so incredible that at first I did not
believe it could be true. How could one dog have been so capable,
survived so many battles, gained so much fame? Surely someone had
made him up." Two years later she found herself researching the life
of this very real creature.
For a celebrity canine, Stubby had a rather inauspicious
beginning. Homeless, his origin shrouded in mystery, he befriended a
group of Connecticut National Guard members who were training for war
on Yale University's athletic grounds. He developed an especially
tight bond with James Robert Conroy, so when Conroy was assigned
overseas he smuggled his canine companion aboard.
Luckily for us, Conroy was diligent about committing stories,
photographs, and other memorabilia to a scrapbook which contained over
90 pages. Stubby was not the only canine conscripted into military
service in World War I. Thousands of trained dogs did everything from
delivering messages and carrier pigeons to helping locate injured
soldiers and killing the rats that infested trenches. However, he was
the most documented. Stubby The Dog is a must read for dog devotees
young and old.
On a personal note, soon I will be out in Community Garden with our
own dog mascot Mika.
A great big shout out goes out to dogs and their human companions.



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