"If you judge a book by its cover, you might miss out on an amazing story." Such is the case with Stubby, a homeless dog who could have been left for lost, but ended up saving countless lives in World War I and becoming the most decorated animal in American Military history. Stubby, a mix of Boston terrier and pit bull, was discovered, rescued, and taught by Private Robert Conroy and his colleagues, who were training for World War I at Yale University in 1917. Conroy smuggled Stubby aboard a transport ship to Europe with the U.S. 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division. His commanding officer discovered the dog several days later and was quite displeased--until Stubby saluted the officer with his paw as the soldiers had trained him to do. In the trench warfare of Europe, Stubby would bark to alert the regiment of surprise mustard gas attacks and incoming artillery fire, giving the soldiers time to grab their gas masks or hit the bottom of the trenches before a raid. Trained to differentiate between German and English speakers, Stubby would also locate wounded English-speaking soldiers in the trenches and bark until paramedics arrived. He even once caught a German spy. Stubby braved through 17 WWI battles, saving countless Allied soldiers' lives through his actions. For his courage, he received many military honors and marched in the Victory Parade. Why Did Sergeant Stubby Go to War? is Stubby's story, the second in a series of children's books about the amazing Unsung Heroes featured at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas. Through Stubby's story and those of other Unsung Heroes, the Center helps students, educators and communities recognize the value of each individual to effect positive change in the world. Cathy Werling, the author, is an award-winning retired elementary educator. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Through her series of books about these humble heroes, Cathy inspires elementary children to be those people who make a positive difference in the lives of others.

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.

Stubby's story begins in 1917 when America is about to enter the war. A stowaway dog befriends Private James Robert "Bob" Conroy at the Connecticut National Guard camp at Yale University and the two become inseparable. Stubby also wins over the commanding officer and is soon made an official member of the 102nd Infantry of the 26th division. What follows is an epic tale of how man's best friend becomes an invaluable soldier on the front lines and in the trenches, a decorated war hero and an inspiration to a country long after the troops returned home.

Stubby was a brave soldier, a loyal friend... and a dog. From an army training camp to the trenches in France, this is the incredible true story of Sergeant Stubby, the dog who served bravely in the First World War, sniffing out gas attacks, catching spies and winning the hearts of his fellow soldiers.

Stubby, a stray pup taken in by a group of American soldiers-in-training, soon finds himself whisked off to the frontlines of World War I as the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and becomes the most decorated canine soldier of the Great War..

"For those who loved New York Times bestseller Rin Tin Tin comes the memorable story of Sergeant Stubby--World War I dog veteran, decorated war hero, American icon, and above all, man's best friend--never before told and timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of World War I. National Geographic tells the story of a stray dog who becomes Sergeant Stubby the War Dog during World War I. Beloved award-winning author and library darling Ann Bausum brings her friendly writing style and in-depth research to her first-ever book for adults. Simultaneously releasing with a National Geographic Kids book Stubby the War Dog, this moving story will touch readers' hearts"--

The hugely illuminating story of how a popular breed of dog became the most demonized and supposedly the most dangerous of dogs—and what role humans have played in the transformation. When Bronwen Dickey brought her new dog home, she saw no traces of the infamous viciousness in her affectionate, timid pit bull. Which made her wonder: How had the breed—beloved by Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, and Hollywood’s “Little Rascals”—come to be known as a brutal fighter? Her search for answers takes her from nineteenth-century New York City dogfighting pits—the cruelty of which drew the attention of the recently formed ASPCA—to early twentieth‑century movie sets, where pit bulls cavorted with Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton; from the battlefields of Gettysburg and the Marne, where pit bulls earned presidential recognition, to desolate urban neighborhoods where the dogs were loved, prized—and sometimes brutalized. Whether through love or fear, hatred or devotion, humans are bound to the history of the pit bull. With unfailing thoughtfulness, compassion, and a firm grasp of scientific fact, Dickey offers us a clear-eyed portrait of this extraordinary breed, and an insightful view of Americans’ relationship with their dogs.