Ohio Dog Names

A famous Ohio dog was Smoky who served in World War II. The Yorkshire Terrier weighed four pounds and was seven inches in height. Smoky was found in an abandoned foxhole in the New Guinea jungle in February of 1944. While the soldiers thought that she belonged to the Japanese, it turned out she did not understand commands in either language. Corporal William A. Wynne wound up with Smoky, who accompanied him on combat flights in the Pacific. As she was not an official war dog, she did not have access to vet care or a diet balanced for dogs; she shared Wynne’s rations and slept in his tent. Smoky served in the South Pacific with the 5^th Air Force 26^th Photo Recon Squadron; she was credited with 12 combat missions and awarded eight battle stars. Wynne believes that Smoky saved his life by warning him of shells coming in. When not in battle, Smoky entertained troops with Special Services as well as in hospitals. In 1944, the magazine Yank Down Under named her the “Champion Mascot in the Southwest Pacific Area”. When Wynne returned to Ohio, Smoky was with him; she soon became famous nationwide; Wynne and Smoky traveled the world demonstrating her skills. The famous dog passed away in 1957 at the age of 14. In 2005, a life size bronze sculpture of Smoky was placed at the spot of her final resting place in Lakewood, Ohio.

Another well-known dog in Ohio is Blackie, of West Toledo. He had been living on his own for about three years near the Historic Woodlawn Cemetery, where area residents gave him his nickname and cared for him as a neighborhood dog. Ed Sarnecky began feeding him about a year ago and turned his shed into a shelter for the canine. According to Sarnecky, Blackie would greet him every night when his car pulled up and would frequently lie underneath his van. While Blackie would not let Sarnecky touch him, he would come within arm’s distance. When the dog began limping and experiencing threats of harm, residents of the neighborhood contacted Devoted Barn, which offers a unique program for feral dogs, for help. The operator of the rescue, Melissa Borden and a volunteer were able to get Blackie to the barn, where he has been able to begin rehabilitation and is making steady progress.