Judy’s war story
An English pointer named Judy was unlike any dog you’ve ever met. She was beautiful, smart, loyal and loving, but most of all Judy was brave and tough, surviving for years in jungles and Japanese internment camps in the Pacific theater as World War II’s only canine prisoner of war.
The liver-and-white dog was originally the pet and mascot of British sailors who bought her as a puppy from a kennel in Shanghai. Judy survived multiple bombing raids and two shipwrecks, saving the lives of at least four soldiers struggling in sharkinfested waters.
She regularly slunk into the jungles of Sumatra, where she fearlessly outran fierce tigers and rampaging elephants to catch and kill snakes and rats that she then shared with British, Dutch, Australian and American prisoners who like herself, were starved to skin and bones by their Japanese captors.
Judy tried to intervene when POWs were brutally beaten, and she functioned as a therapy dog, lifting the spirits of sick and wounded prisoners.
Soldiers, sailors and airmen repeatedly risked their own lives to save Judy, hiding her from Japanese guards who threatened to kill her and force-feed the prisoners her flesh and bones.
If Judy was a fictional dog in a novel, I would dismiss it as impossibly unbelievable. But Judy was a real dog in a well-documented work of nonfiction by freelance writer Robert Weintraub: “No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII” (Little, Brown, $28).
In my opinion, this is the best dog book since the uber best-selling “Marley and Me.” But this is no fluffy little dog story. This is a book that will appeal to history buffs — even those who don’t love dogs. Mr. Weintraub includes a 10-page bibliography, 34 pages of notes and multiple photographs taken of Judy during and after the war.
So why had we never heard of Judy? I asked the author in a telephone interview from his Decatur, Ga., home.
“Judy just slipped through the cracks,” said Mr. Weintraub, a dog lover and history buff who stumbled across Judy in a 1970s edition of “The People’s Almanac” that contained a list of amazing animals.
Judy was a postwar big deal in the United Kingdom, where she received awards and commendations and was mentioned in the memoirs of many soldiers and sailors. The “one man” in the book’s title is Royal Air Force Technician Frank Williams, who formed a special bond with the dog. During 20 months of research, Mr. Weintraub interviewed two soldiers whose memories of Judy and Mr. Williams were vivid, although both are in their 90s.
A self-proclaimed “sports guy,” Mr. Weintraub, 47, has authored two other books — “The House That Ruth Built” and “The Victory Season.” He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and a columnist for Slate, and his work has aired on ESPN and other outlets.
He grew up with golden retrievers, but his family is currently dog-less. His young son and daughter are campaigning for a dog, and the pointer breed is high up on the list of potential pets, Mr. Weintraub said.
I generally hate war books, and this one depicts forced marches, torture, daily 12-hour forced labor details, starvation and the misery wrought by malaria, typhus, beriberi, dysentery and malnutrition.
Although thousands of prisoners died in the Japanese camps, this book is ultimately uplifting, highlighting the almost super-human physical and mental courage so many men exhibited to save themselves and each other — with the help of one medium-sized dog.
No spoiler alert needed here — we know who “won” the war, and we know from the book jacket that Judy and Mr. Williams survived the war, remained inseparable and lived long and interesting lives.
Judy died in Africa in 1950 at the age of 14. She had lived in China, Ceylon, Java, England, Egypt, Burma, Singapore, Malaya and Sumatra, according to the memorial atop her burial site. Mr. Williams died in 2003, one month past his 84th birthday. Or, as Mr. Weintraub writes in the last sentence of this amazing book:
“Frank lived for 53 years after Judy died. He never again owned a dog.”
Mutt Mob
It’s not a flash mob — it’s a Mutt Mob, and Animal Friends is having it on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Adoptable dogs from the Ohio Township shelter will greet Pirates fans from the Renaissance Hotel and across the bridge to BZ’s Bar & Grill. Donate to Animal Friends to get drink and food specials. The event is part of the shelter’s 31 Days of Compassion in May. Next up is a Cat Crawl May 16 in Lawrenceville.
Healthy Pet Day
Free product samples are just part of the fun at the Healthy Pet Day event next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Healthy Pet Products, 9805 McKnight Road, McCandless 15237. Pets are welcome at this free event. The shop features allnatural and organic pet food and USA-made treats and toys.
Look for pet-focused activities and seminars, adoptable pets from local shelters, a pet photo booth, vendors, canine search and rescue demonstrations, and deep discounts on pet foods and supplies. Raffles and games will benefit local shelters. Information : www. HealthyPetProducts.net.
Woof Walkathon
The One Dog at a Time group is having its first Woof, Wag & Walkathon next Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bairdford Park, 33 Bairdford Park Road, West Deer (15044).
Dogs can join this walk. The donation is $10 for adults, $5 for children or $20 per family, and that includes food, drinks, live music, door prizes and giveaways. Register at www.onedogatatime.us or sign up at the event.
The group generally raises money for “dogs in need,” but 25 percent of proceeds will go to the family of Jillian Popelas-Clegg in Belle Vernon. Her sons, Tyler and Luke Clegg, are non-verbal and non-ambulatory because of MED 23, a rare neurological disorder. The family needs a ramp to make it easier to get them into and out of their home.
Bird watching trip
Rare piping plovers, nesting terns and more than 230 species of song birds will be spotted on a trip to Presque Isle State Park, Erie, next weekend. It’s led by Bob Mulvihill, ornithologist at the National Aviary on the North Side.
Birds that summer in northern Canada stop in the park to “fuel up” before crossing Lake Erie. Day trippers will see one of the oldest bird banding stations in the world, look for songbirds and hike out to the observation platform overlooking Gull Point.
Buses leave the aviary on the North Side at 5:30 a.m. next Saturday and return in mid-afternoon. Cost is $75 for National Aviary members and $85 for nonmembers. Lunch is included. Register by emailing Audrey.Beichner@aviary. or calling 412-2589463.
Uncorked and Unleashed
Here’s an upscale fundraiser high atop Mount Washington at LeMont Restaurant, 1114 Grandview Ave. (15211) next Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Animal Care & Assistance Fund, which helps pet owners with bills at Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Ohio Township.
Uncorked and Unleashed features full dinner stations (buffet-style) with seven entrees, including filet mignon with sauce bordelaise. A caricature artist, a photo booth, raffles and prizes are included. Valet parking is free.
Admission is $125 or $175 VIP in advance at the www.animalcarefund.org website. Pay at the door the night of the event for $10 more. The VIP ticket gets you in at 6 p.m. for an open bar and hors d’oeuvres.
Free cat spay & neuter
Reservations are being taken for 30 pet cats and 30 community cats for the May 19 Mary Allen Free Cat Spay/ Neuter Day at the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Larimer.
A donation for the surgeries was made by Elizabeth Spence of Hampton, a cousin of Ms. Allen. Until her death in 2013, Mary Allen shared her Lawrenceville home with pet cats and cared for a colony of community cats — what some people would call ferals. To reserve a free slot, call 412-345-7300, ext. 211.