The 9/11 rescue dogs: Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero one decade on.

During the chaos of the 9/11 attacks, where almost 3,000 people died, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their brave owners scoured Ground Zero for survivors.
Now, ten years on, just 12 of these heroic canines survive, and they have been commemorated in a touching series titled 'Retrieved' for a book to sing their praises.

The dogs worked tirelessly to try and search for those trapped in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers and members of the public.

Traveling across nine states in the US from Texas to Maryland, Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade on from the horrific attacks on America.

Noted for her touching portraits of animals, especially dogs, Charlotte wanted 'Retrieved' to mark not only the anniversary of the September 2001 attacks, but also as recognition for some of the first responders and their dogs.

'I felt this was a turning point, especially for the dogs, who although are not forgotten, are not as prominent as the human stories involved,' explained Charlotte, who splits her time between New York and Amsterdam.
'They speak to us as a different species and animals are greatly important for our sense of empathy and to put things into perspective.'

Most of the search and rescue dogs are Labrador or Golden Retrievers and Charlotte feels that the title works across many aspects.
'I found the dogs, I retrieved them, they were there to retrieve the victims, it is nicely rounded,' explained Charlotte whose work is being exhibited at the Julie Saul Gallery NYC opening on September 8, in time for the anniversary.
After working on a project about police canines and other working dogs, she was inspired to concentrate on the animals that played such a huge part in seeking survivors.
Contacting the NYPD, the New York Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Charlotte discovered that out of the nearly 100 dogs among the first responders deployed by FEMA, there were in fact only 15 still alive last year.

'They were there for the first few weeks, they were trained to find people alive, although that is ultimately not what happened,' said Charlotte, who will hold a fundraiser for the First Responder Alliance to be held at Clic Bookstore in New York on September 29.

'I traveled across the United States to meet with the owners and portray the dogs. They are all retired and I spent time with each of their handlers learning about their experiences.

'It was moving talking to Denise Corliss, who is the handler and owner of Bretagne, one of the Golden Retrievers.
'She told me a touching story of one fireman who was there in the rubble, and how taken he was with Bretagne who comforted him as he sat down to catch his breath.

'Years later at a Remembrance Ceremony, the same fireman recognised Bretagne and her handler and they had a touching reunion.

'It developed that even though the dogs couldn't find people still alive, they could provide comfort for the brave firemen and rescue workers of the emergency services.'

Wishing to tell the other side of heroism from 9/11, each of Charlotte's encounters with dogs such as Gabriel and Orion and Scout stayed with her.
'The dogs are now old and they will soon pass away. Even during the time it has taken since my first work on the 'Retrieved' portraits to now, three of the final 15 have died,' said Charlotte.

'These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs and their portraits are offering us a way to deal with the things that happened as well as relying on them for comfort.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...fficult-mission.html
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Some noble and loyal friends we have in these animals. See their pictures as they are now 10 years later. I hold them in very high regard.

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Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 09-04-2011).]

Great post. Thanks for sharing.

HAGO!

quote Originally posted by blackrams: The 9/11 rescue dogs: Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero one decade on. 'These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs and their portraits are offering us a way to deal with the things that happened as well as relying on them for comfort.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...fficult-mission.html

Dammit Ron, I haven't been on the forum for awhile and then I come back and read this and see those portraits of the old dogs.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-04-2011).]

I've never seen the thousand yard stare in a dog before.



And the story of one of the rescue dogs who didn't make it to 10 years after 9/11.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290858,00.html

quote Thursday, July 26, 2007 NEW YORK — A black Labrador who became a national canine hero after burrowing through white-hot, smoking debris in search of survivors at the World Trade Center site died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. Owner Mary Flood had Jake put to sleep Wednesday after a last stroll through the fields and a dip in the creek near their home in Oakley, Utah. He was in too much pain at the end, shaking with a 105-degree fever as he lay on the lawn. No one can say whether the dog would have gotten sick if he hadn't been exposed to the smoky air at Ground Zero, but cancer in dogs Jake's age — he was 12 — is quite common. Some rescue dog owners who worked at the World Trade Center site claim their animals have died because of their work at Ground Zero. But scientists who have spent years studying the health of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue have found no sign of major illness in the animals. The results of an autopsy on Jake's cancer-riddled body will be part of a University of Pennsylvania medical study of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue dogs. Flood had adopted Jake as a 10-month-old disabled puppy — abandoned on a street with a broken leg and a dislocated hip. "But against all odds he became a world-class rescue dog," said Flood, a member of Utah Task Force 1, one of eight federal search-and-rescue teams that desperately looked for human remains at ground zero. Anguished New Yorkers honored the dogs. On the evening of his team's arrival, Jake walked into a fancy Manhattan restaurant wearing his search-and-rescue vest and was promptly treated to a free steak dinner under a table. Flood eventually trained Jake to become one of fewer than 200 U.S. government-certified rescue dogs — a muscular animal on 24-hour call to tackle disasters such as building collapses, earthquakes, hurricanes and avalanches. After Hurricane Katrina, Flood and Jake drove 30 hours from Utah to Mississippi, where they searched through the rubble of flooded homes in search of survivors. In recent years, Jake helped train younger dogs and their handlers across the country. Jake showed other dogs how to track scents, even in the snow, and how to look up if the scent was in a tree. He also did therapy work with children at a Utah camp for burn victims and at senior homes and hospitals. "He was a great morale booster wherever he went," says Flood. "He believed that his cup was always full, never half-full. He was always ready to work, eager to play — and a master at helping himself to any unattended food items." Cynthia Otto of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, who is researching the health of Sept. 11 dogs, expects Jake and the other animals being analyzed will serve as sentinels on possible long-term consequences stemming from 9/11. Jake's ashes will be scattered "in places that were important to him," says Flood, like his Utah training grounds, the rivers and hills near home where he swam and roamed.

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 09-04-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick: Dammit Ron, I haven't been on the forum for awhile and then I come back and read this and see those portraits of the old dogs.

Patrick,
We do get attached to these animals, don't we?

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Ron

I saw that report too. Thanks for posting. Very cool.

those were real heros in my tear filled eyes. they did't ask to go but never asked to leave ether.

steve

quote Originally posted by fierowitch: those were real heros in my tear filled eyes. they did't ask to go but never asked to leave ether. steve

I don't know about that. If you could speak to them, I'll bet every one of those dogs volunteered and was ready to go, just like the human first responders.
Those animals are better people than some of the humans I've known. Smarter, too.

Thanks for posting that, Ron.

Forwarded that to my wife (the dog trainer.)
She will, no doubt, pass it on, too.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Those animals are better people than some of the humans I've known. Smarter, too.

Indeed.