GAIL GIVES UP SILVER - 17 February 1943

SILVER THE WAR DOG - seven-year old Gail Thomas - daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Al Thomas of 233 Goucher Street sent their German Shepard dog "Silver" to Erdenhein, Pa for Army and Navy Training. Silver is the first Cambria County dog to serve under the program. I have no way of knowing if Silver actually served in the war and if so - did he make it home? 

The idea for the Dogs for Defense program germinated shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The prominent breeders and trainers of the dog-show world got together to create a program appealing to the American public to donate their pet dogs to the war effort. Initially, various breeds of dogs were requested, but only if they were purebred. They could be either sex, but had to be between one and five years old and exhibit watchdog traits. And, like GIs, they had to pass a physical inspection.

To read more about this program: Click Here - Dogs for Defense.

For more information on the 'Dogs for Defense' program. Author Robin Hutton has written an amazing book on the subject 'War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II'. She writes about all the war animals from dogs to horses during WWII. Earlier this year - she gave a talk on one of the BEST Youtube channels out there called WW2TV! I highly recommend the channel. He covers a whole wide range of WW2 subjects - with a little WWI (which I love) also thrown in there from time to time. Starting at the 06:21 mark - she talks about how the program started and states that many of the animals actually did make it back home after the war: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np8Xeu0OAZM