Sgt Stubby, WWI hero, gets statue at Museum of the Dog

World War I hero Sgt Stubby is getting a statue at the Museum of the Dog.

The Museum of the Dog will soon be getting a new statue, honoring World War I hero Sgt Stubby.

Dog O’Day learned of this news through Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the US military (which also presumably includes military working dogs).

Sgt Stubby was a Bull Terrier mix, who was found on the campus of Yale (home of very smart Bulldogs) in 1917, where a soldier named Robert Conroy found and adopted him. Conroy’s unit, the 102nd Infantry, was training on the campus, and when they went overseas to France, Stubby was smuggled along for moral support.

He became more than just a mascot, however, warning his comrades of incoming chemical gas attacks and artillery fire. He also comforted wounded soldiers and helped capture a German spy, taking part in 17 battles in all during his time of service.

When the war ended, Sgt Stubby became a celebrity, getting a medal from General John Pershing and meeting Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding.

Stubby became the mascot of the Georgetown Hoyas football team, which perhaps explains why they sometimes use a bulldog as their logo (“Hoya” is essentially a nonsense word in English, but it was once part of a Latin phrase concerning rocks).

When he died, Sgt Stubby received a lengthy obituary in the New York Times, and his body was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

The statue, which will be unveiled Thursday, May 23, is made out of bronze and shows Stubby with one paw raised at attention.

“His right paw represents his deeds for our country and his left paw represents his friendly and giving nature,” sculptor Susan Bahary said in a press release. “His contributions to our military, along with his loyalty and bravery are symbolic of all the wonderful working dogs that protect us and service animals that benefit and enrich our lives today.”

The Museum of the Dog recently opened in New York City, and it should definitely be on any dog lover’s list of doggy travel destinations to visit. For more about the MoD, see our post here about its opening.