Smoky the World War II dog hero
In 1944, Bill Wynne adopted a Yorkie believed to be one of the first therapy dogs
Witness History · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
In 1944, Bill Wynne who was serving with the U.S. Army during World War II, adopted a tiny Yorkshire terrier called Smoky.
When Bill caught dengue fever and was sent to hospital, his friends brought Smoky to see him.
Soon the nurses were taking Smoky to visit other patients who had been wounded in the Biak Island invasion. She had a powerful healing effect on the soldiers and is believed to be one of the world’s first therapy dogs.
Reena Stanton-Sharma talks to Bill's friend Adrian Brigham about Smoky, her role in World War II, and her TV career.
Archive: University of Tennessee, PDSA, WCPN.
(Photo: Bill Wynne and Smoky (centre) at the Vaughan General Hospital, in Illinois. Credit: Smoky War Dog, LLC)