Sergeant Stubby captured the hearts of Americans for his wartime heroics, and he took part in many parades
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Although Sergeant Stubby was eventually bedecked in military medals and beloved by Americans, his start in life was far from glamorous. Nobody knows exactly when Stubby was born, but it’s thought to have been during the first half of World War I. He was a dog of uncertain breed, described in early news stories as either a bull terrier or a Boston terrier, with a short stature, barrel shape and friendly temperament. Until 1917 it’s thought that Stubby wandered the streets of New Haven, Connecticut, scrounging for scraps of food. But this was no ordinary stray. Just a few years later – following the end of World War I – he was recognised as the most decorated dog in American history.
Stubby’s fortunes had changed in July 1917, when he began hanging around a group of soldiers belonging to the 102nd Infantry Regiment as they trained in the grounds of Yale University. One of the men, a 25-year-old private named Robert Conroy, took a shine to the young dog and began to take care of him, naming him ‘Stubby’ in reference to his stature and little tail.