Where Are They Now?

By Michael Mountain, September 6, 2011

The dogs of 9/11 – 10 years later

Animals at Ground Zero Heroes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds The dogs and their people who risked their lives to save others Meet One of the Dog Teams “We were a team, and if something wasn’t safe for the dogs, we would say.” Pier 40: Heart of the Operation How the animal rescue teams came together The Four-Legged Heroes How Dorado led his blind person to safety Search & Rescue, Canine Style The Suffolk Country crew sets up the MASH unit Where Are They Now? The dogs of 9/11 – 10 years later Pets in Peril Tweety-Pye gets left behind Diary of a K-9 Team Paul Morgan and Cody join the FEMA team Preparing for Animal Care in a Disaster A few quick tips to help keep you safe If You’re an Animal Organization Working together to build an emergency coalition A Snapshot of the E-mails “I am an active duty Marine. My 10 cats and 2 dogs will not have a home if we go to war…” Other Websites A Memorial Roster Many of the dogs who worked at Ground Zero suffered serious health problems and passed away in the years that followed. A Tribute A preview to radio talk-show host Steve Dale’s book called Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs.

Moxie spent eight days at Ground Zero with her person, Mark Aliberti, from Winthrop, Mass.

In the hours and days following the attack on the Twin Towers, almost 100 trained dogs from 18 states, were deployed in the search-and-rescue efforts at Ground Zero.

Today, only 12 of these dogs are still alive. Some had died peacefully of old age; others had become sick and did not survive long.

Photographer Charlotte Dumas went in search of the dogs who are still with us. She tracked each of them down, visiting and photographing them at their homes throughout the U.S.

Her book, Retrieved, marks the 10th anniversary with special recognition for some of the first responders and their dogs.

“I felt this was a turning point, especially for the dogs, who although not forgotten, are not as prominent as the human stories involved,” she said.

Bretagne taking a break at Ground Zero with Denise Corliss, and, later,in retirement

One of the dogs she met was golden retriever Bretagne, who lives with her person (and handler at Ground Zero), Denise Corliss. “Denise told me 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.”

Hoke spent five days with her person, Julie Noyes. They came from Denver.

“The dogs are now old and they will soon pass away,” Dumas said. “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.”

Next: Pets in Peril