Animal 911 Heroes September 11th,

Animal 911 Heroes

September 11th, 2001 will go down in history as one of America's greatest tragedies. Yet, from the death and destruction, out of the rubble and debris, came the true spirit of humankind, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. There are so many stories of heroism on that fateful day that it fills the heart with hope. Those trained to respond, those found thrust into the situation with no preparation, and all of the support from millions of people around the globe showed that tragedy could bring out the hero in everyone. And this was not limited to just those of the human persuasion, but canines as well.

Canine Heroes Overview:

Within hours, specially trained search and rescue dogs were on the scene of the World Trade Center. More than 300 dogs from across the United States and Canada raced to the scene, to join forces with the NYPD canine units, searching the 16-acre disaster site, around the clock. Most of these courageous canines and their handlers were volunteers ("The Dogs of the World Trade Center"). and, their presence was absolutely invaluable.

The search and rescue dogs of September 11th gave rescuers a tool like no other. Rescue workers were able to focus their recovery efforts, thanks to these four-legged heroes. Their presence and work in the dangerous debris lessened the risk for their human colleagues ("The Dogs of the World Trade Center"). As Teresa MacPherson, a canine specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, notes, rescue dogs are the only tool that can detect an unconscious victim reliably, let alone go places humans can't, because they are smaller, lighter, faster, and more sure-footed. In addition, a dog's sense of smell is thousands of times more powerful than humans, allowing them to scent out people who may be trapped out of sight, alerting their handlers where to dig (Stein).

Yet, these brave dog's presence meant even more than just the rescue job they had been trained to do. " Many handlers reported the mere presence of the dogs brought enormous comfort to the brave men and women of the New York Police and Fire Departments as they sought the remains of their colleagues, killed in the line of duty on September 11" ("The Dogs of the World Trade Center").

This demonstrated their value far beyond the obvious search and rescue function.

Search and rescue dogs were on site for a full month, aiding in the rescue effort. Amazingly, no dogs died during the actual recovery effort. Sirius, a bomb-sniffing dog that worked for the Port Authority and was stationed at the World Trade Center, did perish in the initial building collapse ("The Dogs of the World Trade Center").

And, although many were injured, with some passing away from disease later, none died from injury while working, despite the extremely dangerous conditions.

The individualized heroic stories related following are only a small fraction of the efforts made by the hundreds of canines and their handlers following the September 11th tragedy.

Individual Heroic Canine Stories:

Some of the canine heroism came from just everyday dogs. Much like the average people who helped their friends and strangers alike escape the horrible destruction, several dogs were at the World Trade Center that fateful morning, working, and were transformed into rescuers as well. Rozell and Dorado were two such animals. Both were guide dogs, at work with their blind owners. Situated in different locations in the towers, both dogs demonstrated similar levels of not only discipline but devotion, as they led their owners to safety, down multiple flights of crowded stairs ("The Dogs of the World Trade Center").

Anna, a German Shepherd was one of the trained canine rescuers that reached the World Trade Center eager to help, mere hours after the collapses. Together with her handler, Sarah Atlas, Anna went right to work searching the debris for survivors. For 10 days the fearless dog crawled into holes and climbed over steel beams. On her very first day, Anna "emerged from the chaos with first degree burns on her belly and several welts known as 'hot spots' (Hurst)." but, she would not be deterred from her mission.

Sadly, two weeks following her noble work at the World Trade Center site, Anna was diagnosed with discosphondylitis, a bacterial infection that had settled in the furry hero's spine.

Trakr, a retired police K-9 heard the call for help as well, and came to the Trade Center rescuers' aid.

When they heard about the disaster at the World Trade Center, Trakr and his owner, Constable Jamie Symington of the Halifax Regional Police, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, hopped in their car and drove 14 hours to New York City.

They worked tirelessly from Wednesday morning through Friday, when Trakr collapsed from exhaustion (Adelman). Another example of how rescuers both human and pawed refused to give up, until they physically couldn't go any longer.

Perhaps one of the saddest losses of canine heroes was Servus, a highly trained Belgian Malnois. This brave boy died in the arms of his handler of lung injuries, attributed to the World Trade Center site, a year and a half after his rescue efforts. Chris Christensen, Servus' handler, recalled that Servus had refused to stay in the police car, insisting that he work. This was despite the fact that he had fallen head-first into debris and inhaled concrete dust. It was the injuries he sustained during his September 11th work, that would eventually lead to his death (Durand).

However, the commitment from both dog and handler continue on even after Servus' tragic passing. Durand quotes Christensen, quite poignantly,

Everyone has asked me if I would have changed a thing about going to the World Trade Center. (...) Without a thought I would not have changed anything and neither would Servus, even though it cost him his life and in turn has broken my heart. We went to help those who needed us, not to be heroes. It is doubtful that I will ever have a love and bond closer than Servus and I - he taught me the meaning of courage, loyalty and honor.

This is a lesson that can be learned by everyone.

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