Many of the of the dogs featured in the slide show here have a decidedly recognizable likeness to our Bouviers. These “chien sanitaire” or “Red Cross” dogs served valiantly in the First World War, searching for wounded, sometimes dragging the wounded to safety. Other dogs served as messengers, carrying messages between troops in vials attached to the dog's collar. Still other dogs helped in the trenches. Some dogs served as mascots for a company. Civilian dogs also served in the wars, often helping as draft dogs to relocate refugees. Not all the dogs featured here are Bouviers, but the photos illustrate the kind of duties the dogs had during the war and the services they provided.
At least, one Bouvier helped in espionage. Noted American-born spy, Virginia Hall, who worked for the French as an agent and is the only woman to have received America’s Distinguished Service Cross, disguised herself as an elderly milkmaid from the 1943 period until the end of the war, despite losing a leg in an accident. Hunted by the Gestapo, a wanted poster circulated with the warning, "the woman with the limp is one of the most valuable Allied agents in France and we must find and destroy her". Painstakingly teaching herself how to walk without a limp, her elaborate disguise fooled the Germans, allowing her to collect and send invaluable intelligence and coordinate air drops in support of D-Day. The cart dog? A Bouvier. There are also reports that Adolf Hitler was bitten by a Bouvier which contributed to his rumored edict to destroy all Bouviers. Valiant dogs to be sure