A reward was offered for the death of Philly, a WWI dog hero that infuriated the Germans.
Philly was a stray puppy when she was found by a soldier with Company A of the 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division. She became the company's mascot, and when it came time for the unit to deploy to France, the men smuggled her on board.
While in the trenches, Philly would bark to warn the unit of German sneak attacks. Her warnings resulted in a bounty of 50 deutschmarks for her death, but fortunately the war had ended before anyone could claim the reward. For her valor she received two Bronze Stars.
Philly returned to the U.S. and lived with Sergeant Charles J. Hermann in Philadelphia. She marched with the 315th in the victory parade and attended regiment reunions.
In 1932, Philly died at the age of 15. Her taxidermied body was donated to the Philadelphia History Museum.
