During World War I, while stationed overseas in France with the United States Army, Private James Donovan literally stumbles upon a small dog cowering on the streets of Paris. Named Rags for his disheveled appearance, the little stray quickly finds a home with Donovan and a place in his heart. Although the Army did not have an official canine division, Rags accompanies Donovan to the battlefield, making himself a useful companion delivering messages and providing a much-appreciated morale boost to the soldiers. News about Rags spreads and soon the little dog's battlefield exploits become the stuff of legend. But during a fierce battle near the end of the war, both Rags and Donovan are wounded. Severely injured, Donovan is sent back to the United States. And the little dog with the big heart refuses to leave his best friend's side.

This is the true story from the First World War of Rags, the amazingly clever terrier. It is a tale of devotion, courage under fire, and astonishing canine intelligence. A hungry and homeless stray is stumbled over one dark, foggy night in a Paris alley by a lost soldier A.W.O.L. The noise alerts the Military Police and the soldier, Donovan, quickly talks his way out of a tight spot by claiming he is on a mission to find his division's dog mascot, and as they were leaving next day for the Front he didn't have time to get a pass. As the canny dog co-operatively plays along, Donovan is believed, and the terrier he names 'Rags' becomes mascot to the U.S. First Division. Rags repays Sergeant Donovan's and the Army's kindness many times over. As well as being a devoted friend, he undoubtedly saves many men's lives. His alertness to the sound of approaching shells warns of danger, he delivers vital messages, alerts stretcher bearers to the whereabouts of the wounded, and with his friendly, cheeky nature bucks up many a flagging soldier. While delivering a crucial message at the Argonne Campaign, Rags is nearly killed: his gas mask is ripped off by the force of an explosion and he is badly gassed. He is also blinded in one eye by shrapnel, his ear is mangled, and his paw wounded. However, Rags still gets the message through, collapsing into unconsciousness on arrival. This is Rags', the amazing terrier's story during the war and afterwards as he achieves celebrity war dog hero status.

On the streets of Paris one day in July 1918, an American doughboy, Sgt. Jimmy Donovan, befriended a stray dog that he named Rags. No longer an unwanted street mutt, Rags became the mascot to the entire First Division of the American Expeditionary Force and a friend to the American troops who had crossed the Atlantic to fight. Rags was more than a scruffy face and a wagging tail, however. The little terrier mix was with the division at the crucial battle of Soissons, at the Saint-Mihiel offensive, and finally in the blood-and-mud bath of the Meuse-Argonne, during which he and his guardian were wounded. Despite being surrounded by distraction and danger, Rags learned to carry messages through gunfire, locate broken communications wire for the Signal Corps to repair, and alert soldiers to incoming shells, saving the lives of hundreds of American soldiers. Through it all, he brought inspiration to men with little to hope for, especially in the bitter last days of the war. From Stray Dog to World War I Hero covers Rags’s entire life story, from the bomb-filled years of war through his secret journey to the United States that began his second life, one just as filled with drama and heartache. In years of peace, Rags served as a reminder to human survivors of what held men together when pushed past their limits by the horrors of battle. Watch a book trailer.

Chips. a husky-shepherd-collie mix is a curious and carefree dog until the news arrives that Japanses warplanes have boobed Pearl Harbor. Suddenly Chip's comfortable life, and the lives of everyone he knows in his peaceful village are changed forever. Follow Chips as he is enlisted in Dogs for Defense and joins the first war dog detachment to be shipped overseas into some for the fiercest fighting of the Second World War. A fictional account based on the true-life adventures of the most highly decorated canine hero from World War II. Chips: The War Dog is a timeless story about the importance of home, friendship, and loyalty during one of the most challenging times in America's history.

Documents the heroic wartime achievements of a World War I mascot who was adopted by a soldier as an orphaned pup and who gained military honors and a display in the Smithsonian Institution for his brave service behind enemy lines.