25. Sgt. Stubby: Canine Hero
PHOTO: mentalfloss.com
Some dogs are afraid of the vacuum cleaner. Other dogs are war heroes. That’s the case with Stubby, a stray bull terrier that was smuggled into the 102nd Infantry during WWI by J. Robert Conroy. Sgt. Stubby was allowed to stay on as a mascot, but he ended up as an invaluable member of the military. He survived a mustard gas attack, and as a result became sensitive to its odor and was able to warn soldiers before other mustard gas attacks. He could also locate wounded Americans on the battlefield because he knew the difference between English and German. He’d stay by their side and bark until rescued.
That’s not all. Stubby actually discovered a German spy before any humans did and bit him. By the end of WWI, he’d been in 17 battles. He retired and lived a comfortable life with Conroy after the war.
