The citizens of New York City weren't the only heroes that rushed to save victims when terrorists attacked the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. At least 350 SAR dogs and their handlers from all over the country answered the call to join the search. Included were the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) highly trained urban search and rescue (USAR) K9 teams. K9 teams worked to locate victims at the Pentagon, as well.
SAR and USAR Dogs of 9/11 Demonstrated Incredible Skills and Abilities
No one could have prepared the trained dogs or their human handlers for the mountains of concrete, twisted steel and shattered glass. The teams weren't prepared for the horrific sight, the chaos or the aura of death – the bodies ... and thousands of body parts. The ash, dirt, small fires, smoke and heat only exacerbated the catastrophic conditions. Dangerous and unstable piles of rubble reached as high as seven stories in some places.
The agile dogs, sure-footed and energy-driven, reached places human rescuers couldn't go. They searched nooks, small tunnels and holes that could have collapsed at any moment. Dogs trained and certified to locate live bodies encountered a number of cadavers.
According to Nona Kilgore Bauer, author of the book, "Dog Heroes of September 11th", "Giant cranes, bulldozers, generators and other heavy construction equipment created a deafening din." She adds, "It was a sight no one could ever have imagined, and certainly one no dog handler had ever anticipated."
Tenth Anniversary of U.S. Terrorist Attacks: Dog Recognition Ceremonies
September 11, 2011, marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The Palisades Center Mall, West Nyack, NY, plans to host a 2-month long SAR Photography and Artifact Exhibit, honoring the dog heroes of 9/11, beginning September 10, 2011, according to information on the website Finding One Another.
Sunday, September 11, 2011, there is scheduled a 9/11 Working Dog Recognition Ceremony, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ at 12:45 PM. Hosted by Finding One Another, "FOA has identified more than 950 working dog teams (civilian, government, law enforcement and military) who served in response to the attacks of 9/11. These teams were involved with search and rescue, recovery and security efforts at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, Shanksville and the Fresh Kills Landfill recovery site."
Remembering the Heroic Search and Rescue Dogs of 9/11
The SAR and USAR dogs and handlers deserve to be remembered for their skills, courage, bravery and dedication. The website DogFiles features a video of some of the search and rescue dogs recognized for their heroic work on 9/11. "Hero Dogs of 9/11" created by Kenn Bell, is dedicated to the 2,976 people who lost their lives that day, and pays tribute to the dog heroes who "were just doing their job" and "gave anguished families peace".
One canine fatality occurred in the September 11th disaster. A bomb-detection dog named Sirius lost his life when the World Trade Center's Tower Two fell. "His partner, Officer David Lim, was pulled out of rubble five hours later, alive," reports Kenn Bell, from the above-mentioned video.
Dog Breeds Used on 9/11 and Some of the Names
The SAR dogs used for 9/11 were highly trained to perform specific duties. They also provided much-needed compassion therapy and hope for weary workers. Here are just some of the dog breeds that assisted with the rescue efforts:
- German shepherd
- Boxer
- Dalmatian
- Rottweiler
- Golden retriever
- Doberman
- Australian Shepherd
- Labrador retriever
- Border collie.
The 9/11 SAR and USAR dogs answered to a variety of names. Some were meant to impress: Cowboy, Storm, Maverick, Boomer, Bear, Radar, Worf, Thor, Thunder, Hawk and Sniper.
Many of the dogs had "people" names – Jake, Elvis, Zack, Sherman, Lula, Polly, Lolli, Louie, Anna, Jerry, Cori, Billy, Bretagne, Manny, Red and Lucy.
And still, others had fun names like Jazz, Buddy, Porkchop, Sunnyboy, Nemo, Smokey, Sky, Sage and Nikko.
Some of the dogs had superior breeding. Some were mutts, according to an article provided by Dogs in the News.com. Some dogs suffered minor injuries, but all received plenty of attention and the best of care.
All of the dogs were heroes. All deserve to be remembered on each and every anniversary of September 11. No matter what breed they were, or what names the dogs were given, all answered the desperate call for help like true champions. And like many of their human pals, they did it without any hesitation.
Sources
- "Dog Heroes of September 11th" Kennel Club Books, LLC, 2006 (Nona Kilgore Bauer, Page 16) ISBN: 1-59378-999-8.
- Finding One Another (A dot org site, online): "SAR Photography and Artifact Exhibit" and "Recognition Ceremony" (Tails of Hope Foundation, 2011)
- DogFiles (Online): "Hero Dogs of 9/11" Video created by Kenn Bell (2010, 6 mins.)
- Dogs in the News.com (The Scoop): "The World Trade Center's Heroic Rescue Dogs" (Staff Reporters, pages 1-6, 2001)
Mary King - Mary King is a Suite101 Topic Editor for the Caregiver Support and Home Management sections. She has authored 5 teen-based novels.
