Fort Scott families and other individuals attended Stubby Day Saturday morning, celebrating Sergeant Stubby, one of the unsung heroes featured in the Lowell Milken Center and the most decorated military dog in United States history.
Families came with their canine friends as the center provided activities for both the pets and the children, including snacks, photo opportunities, a chance for the dogs to show off their tricks and face-painting by Fort Scott High School students.
Cathy Werling of the Lowell Milken Center told Sergeant Stubby’s story—how he was a stray discovered by a young man at Yale, and then was smuggled aboard a ship when the soldier was shipped overseas during World War I. Stubby assisted the soldiers by smelling poison gases in the air and even warning of German spies, being present for 17 battles before returning to the United States.
“Stubby was really a hero,” Werling told the children.
Local vendors and organizations such as Lee’s Paws and Claws were present, as was Jacy Jenkins, the director of outreach/partnerships for the Fun Academy Motion Studios, located in Columbus, Ga., in the United States with roots in Ireland, which is creating a movie about Stubby’s story.
Jenkins said Stubby’s tale is a captivating one because it starts with him as a stray dog who becomes a hero, an underdog story that can inspire children and families. With the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I approaching, Jenkins said the movie will also be educational in sharing information about the often lesser known world war.
The movie is expected to be shown on 3,000 screens in North America with its release on April 13, 2018. Currently 400 animators are working on the movie in both Paris and Montreal, where the production of the CGI movie is being done.
“This is just getting started,” Jenkins said of Stubby’s story, which may soon include three movies.
The teaser trailer for the first movie can be seen here. Lead voice actors include Helena Bonham Carter, Logan Lerman and Gerard Depardieu. Patrick Doyle, popular for music score from movies such as Thor, Brave, the live-action Cinderella and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, will be the movie’s composer.
