 |
|
|
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Tribute to Dogs of 9/11
The
post-9/11 recovery will always be remembered for its spirit, its
dedication and—to those who know it intimately—its dogs.
Wherever you may find yourself on the anniversary, remember the
victims, remember the unity, and remember to say a prayer for
the pups.
    
Revisiting a place they'll never forget,FEMA US&R Task Force 1
members "Hawk" and Cathy Schiltz take a moment to reflect at
Ground Zero in New York, which they haven't seen since last
September. Hawk, an Australian Shepherd, never found any
survivors, only the remains of dozens of victims. Says Ms.
Schiltz: "Sometimes he would look at me as if to say, 'Sorry.' "
(Photo: Lauren Hobart / FEMA)
Big dogs (left) and little dogs (below) contributed in big
ways.In a disaster response of unprecedented magnitude, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed 25 of its 28
nationwide task forces to the WTC and the Pentagon. In all,
there were 80 FEMA-certified dogs at work. The effort was
joined by the NYC Police K9 Corps, as well as some 300 search
dogs from around the country. And don't make the mistake of
overlooking the Port Authority dogs, airport security dogs and
therapy dogs who contributed immeasurably. (Below: Janet Linker
and "Ricky"; Photos: Andrea Booher / FEMA)
(Above: Shirley Hammond and "Sunny Boy") Among those deployed in
response were: German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Belgian
Shepherds, Yellow Labradors, Black Labradors, Chocolate
Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Portuguese Waterdogs, German
Shorthair Pointers, Belgian Malinois, Border Collies, Poodles,
Belgian Tervurens, Doberman Pinschers (above), Giant Schnauzers,
Rat Terriers (right), and, of course, mixed breed dogs, mutts
and "pound puppies." It's nice to have friends. (Source: FEMA
Canine SAR Teams' Response)
A wall of red, white and blue honors those killed aboard United
Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where
passengers and crew overpowered the hijackers and sacrificed
themselves to avert a much greater disaster, possibly aimed at
Capitol Hill or the White House on September 11th, 2001.
Yesterday, United Airlines flight attendant Carol Wood, Red
Cross Volunteer Patty Dershem, and "Star", a Red Cross dog
remembered their loved ones. (Photo: Dan Loh / AP)
Our heartfelt thanks go out to FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) for providing many of these photos, but most
importantly, for their tireless dedication during this crisis.
Thank you also to the many individuals who assisted in the WTC
recovery effort, sent us pictures and shared experiences that
were undoubtedly very difficult to talk about. Welcome to our
hall of fame.       
NEW YORK CITY — Not enough can be said about the heroic
individuals, both bipeds and quadrupeds, who lend their
abilities to the security and rescue efforts underway in the
wake of last Tuesday's terrorist attack on America. With that
said, here are a few pictures worth a few thousand words:
Where to begin.
Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds,
Collies, Rottweilers and scores of mutts provide the backbone of
the search-and-rescue (SAR) operations at the World Trade Center
wreckage. (Photo: Sep 15, 2001, Andrea Booher / FEMA)
A police dog and her handler weave through the
debris where the WTC south tower once stood. Rescue dogs like
this one are trained to detect traces of sweat and other musky
odors exuded by the body during stress. They are also able to
distinguish between the living and the dead. (Photo: Sep 13,
2001, AP / Stephen Chernin)
U.S. President George W. Bush greets a Black Lab searcher dog
after visiting the site of the World Trade Center attack in New
York City. (Photo: Sep 14, 2001, Reuters / Win McNamee)
.One
dog-tired rescue dog
gets a drink of water during a rest break from searching through
the rubble. This Golden Retriever, "Bear", was one of the first
dogs to arrive on the scene and get right to work. A dedicated
canine medical camp stands ready to treat for injuries and
exhaustion. Canine ambulances are also on hand. (Photo: Sep 13,
2001, Reuters / Pool / Beth Kaiser)
A
rescue dog is transported out of the debris of the World Trade
Center. (Photo: Sep 15, 2001, US Navy / Preston Keres)
They go underneath into void
spaces—anywhere we can get the dogs in. The site is very
difficult agility for the dogs. They're crawling on their
bellies and squeezing through things. It's incredible to
watch."
Emergency workers walk with two dogs down West Street as they
leave the scene of "the pile". Work shifts have been increased
to 12-hour stretches, sometimes extending to 16 hours of
non-stop searching. (Photo: Sep 17, 2001, AP / Roberto Borea)
"If these dogs only knew what a difference they make.
Certainly, there's nothing that can replace the precision of a
dog's nose—and absolutely nothing that can replace a dog's
heart."
— Bob Sessions, rescue worker, Federal Emergency Management
Agency
"Some
couldn't take it anymore. Rescuers asked to play fetch with
Thunder. But then they'd sneak off in a corner to just be with
Thunder, or maybe to talk with him."
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
