The Dog Heroes Of 9/11 That Are Often Overlooked

It is still the anniversary week of the tragedy of 911 and while there is much to be sad about, the incident, the victims, the first responders and the collective pysche in general, we can also rejoice in the heroic efforts of so many, and the lives that were saved. I ran across this article and was unaware of this aspect of the aftermath. In addition to human living and fallen heroes, there were heroic dogs too, both search and rescue (SAR) and therapy dogs. I had not realized the efforts of over 300 dogs and their trainers during those days and wanted to share and celebrate their story. So much attention(deservingly so) goes to the human aspect but I feel it is important to include these animals contribution as well.

Fair warning, the article/pics will tug on the ole heartstrings, both in joy and sadness, but I hope this shared awareness serves more as honorary and reminds us of the depth of both human and dog nature in both tragedy and triumph. Kudos to Clays and Birds for creating a thread.

The modern timeline is split into two: the world before the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, and the one after. Thousands of people risked their lives to rescue victims in the aftermath. But some of the heroes of that day remain forgotten nearly two decades on. Search and rescue dogs are some of the unsung heroes of 9/11, most of them now forgotten. However, these adorable yet determined animals were indispensable to the rescue efforts and saved countless lives. What’s more, they brought back a sliver of hope to a nation under attack and reeling from the horror. One Twitter user gave canines the attention they deserve in an incredibly profound and viral thread that once and for all proves that dogs really are our best friends. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with ClaysandBirds whose thread caught so many people’s attention.

Sad the department suspended this guy

This one brought a tear to my eye

Unconditional love and always glad to bring a smile

Man the debris in some of the pics is just intense, as is the exhaustion of both people and dogs.

Twitter user ClaysandBirds explained how more than 300 search and rescue (or SAR) dogs were deployed to Ground Zero, but only a third of them were equipped to deal with large-scale urban rescue missions. ClaysandBirds drew attention to the most famous SAR dogs of 9/11, including Bretagne who also rescued people after hurricanes Katrina and Ivan, and the legendary Appollo who was the first canine to arrive on the scene of the terror attacks in New York. Bored Panda reached out to ClaysandBirds to hear more of their thoughts about 9/11 and the heroic search and rescue dogs. When asked whether or not people are forgetting about the heroes of 9/11, the Twitter user said that, in their opinion, the answer is no. However, ClaysandBirds added: “I think when time passes it becomes less relevant in our day-to-day life. The images of the towers falling have been shown millions of times and the shock of it has slowly worn off.”

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a reply to: waftist

Thank you for the information on some of these wonderful animals. Amazing!

Never Forget!

a reply to: waftist

I will never forget their work and sacrifice, both emotional and physical. I bought a t-shirt with their names on it, but can never bring myself to wear it because I don't want to wear it out, get it dirty, etc. It's like the one below. (I am not affiliated with the seller.) I wonder if I should get it matted and framed. They are my heroes, along with the human first responders. I thought you might be interested in this article that was published in the Journal of Trauma Stress.

Thank you for posting some of their pictures and stories.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

www.ebay.com...

a reply to: Night Star

You are most welcome Night Star, thx for the response.

a reply to: drussell41
That's really cool! I would wear it during the anniversary to both honor and spread the awareness. Most people do not know of this. Framing it would do the same thing, but why not show it both ways. They are indeed heroes and I can just imagine some of their sadness and intensity during the event. Seems it was a bit confusing and overwhelming for some of them


Here is a 911 SAR memorial in NJ. I hope they put one up in New York someday, with a complete list of all dogs.

Oh, and thanks for the additional links!

a reply to: waftist

Excellent post. Makes me wonder, as I have never been down to the Memorial, is there an Animal/Dog Memorial for 9/11? The AKC apparently has a temporary one up right now but I can't find if there is a permanent one.

a reply to: waftist
My hero was K-9 Labrador and explosive detection dog being the only dog to die in the ruin of the twin towers, his name was Sirius, the dog star, link below:-
fortheloveofthedogblog.com...

The Coptic calendar is the last remnant of the ancient great Egyptian Calendar, and in ancient times it is thought that the year start happened when the star Sirius rose with the Sun along the Eastern horizon in Egypt, being New Year.
These days New year is on 11th September, however it is now only symbolic of Sirius rising with the Sun, as there is nowhere on Earth that this happens on date in astronomy, however the connection to the dog Sirius on day is slightly spooky.
New year is the first day of Thoth or Thout, info below:-
en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...