In recent years there have been several films made about animals in the First World War. Some examples are A Bear Named Winnie (2001), War Horse (2011) and Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (2018). Sled Dog Soldiers (2012), which was produced for television in Canada and France, also belongs on this list.

It is the true account of the mission of two French officers sent to North America in the summer of 1915 to purchase sled dog teams for their army. These were needed to supply outposts on the Vosges Front during the winter. At least fifty teams were required and delivery had to happen before the snows came in November.

The producers used original documents from French archives, many period photographs and re-enacted scenes to tell the story.

The photograph on the left shows a Belgian machine gun being carried on a dog cart. Perhaps someone will make a documentary about this?

Sled Dog Soldiers is now available in the U.S. on Amazon Prime.

James (“Jim”) Patton BS BA MPA is a retired state official from Shawnee, Kansas and a frequent contributor to several WW1 e-publications, including "Roads to the Great War," "St. Mihiel Tripwire," "Over the Top" and "Medicine in the First World War." He has spent many hours walking the WW1 battlefields, and is also an authority on British regiments and a collector of their badges. An Army Engineer during the Vietnam War, he does work for the US World War 1 Centennial Commission and is affiliated with the WW1 Historical Association, the Western Front Association, the Salonika Campaign Society and the Gallipoli Association.