Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle Published

The story of their friendship and Nubs’ eventual transition from war dog to California pet is so extraordinary that Dennis ended up writing a children’s book about it. Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miraclewas released today, published by Little, Brown Young Readers.

Nubs and his owner, Major Brian Dennis, appeared on the TODAY show in New York this morning.

“As soon as I met him, he just kind of jumped up and I started playing with him,” Dennis said. “The first time we ever met, he just kind of flipped over. I started rubbing his belly. Really, my whole team, we just kind of bonded with him as soon as we met him.”

Nubs was among a pack of dogs living near their fort with the approval of the Iraqi soldiers. He was wounded so Major Dennis took him back to his tent and applied medication to a wound on the dog's side.

Major Dennis told Meredith Viera of the TODAY show, “He had a big wound on his left side ... One of the Iraqis told me that one of the soldiers had gotten mad and stabbed him with a big screwdriver. He looked terrible. We didn’t think he was going to make it. He was all infected. It was bad.”

Nubs made it and then some. He healed and then Brian Dennis and Nubs parted ways when the Marines were moved to a new fort 75 miles away. Two days later, Nubs found Major Dennis. Truly an amazing story with a bond that, today, remains.

Nubs was flown home at a large expense, supported by many donations, in March 2008. A month later, Major Dennis joined him at his home in San Diego. After a period of adjustment, Nubs took to California life and on the TODAY show this morning, looked like one of the most thankful and happy dogs around.

A stray dog bonding with a solider, Nubs story is certainly book-worthy. Brian Dennis told Meredith Viera, "It was an escape from the drudgery, the mundane life out there, the bad things you see at times. It was an escape and now it’s a friend.”

Major Dennis' book, Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, is out today and available on Amazon and in bookstores.

See a video of Nubs here.

Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com

sources: MSNBC, TODAY SHOW