Animals at Ground Zero
Animals at Ground Zero Heroes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds Meet One of the Dog Teams Pier 40: Heart of the Operation The Four-Legged Heroes Search & Rescue, Canine Style Where Are They Now? Pets in Peril Diary of a K-9 Team Preparing for Animal Care in a Disaster If You’re an Animal Organization A Snapshot of the E-mails Other Websites A Memorial Roster A Tribute |
Heroes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds
They were among the great heroes of 9/11 – the dogs and their people who searched the wreckage, risking their own lives to save the lives of others. Many of them, human and canine became sick in the months and years that followed, from breathing in toxic dust and fumes that poisoned the air at Ground Zero.
Today, most of the dogs have passed on. But they will not be forgotten. (And those who still survive have a tribute in a book of photos, Retrieved, that tells their story.)
By Michael Mountain
In the days following the attack, I stayed closely in touch with the director of New York City’s Animal Haven, Marcello Forte, who had been called down to Ground Zero to help manage supplies that were being donated from all over the country to help the animals. There were medical supplies for the search-and-rescue dogs; food and other gifts for pets who were suddenly homeless; help for the animal shelters who found themselves overflowing with new arrivals.
Marcello became our eyes and ears on the ground there. Here’s a digest of what he reported in the days that followed, along with first-hand stories from people who were part of the rescue team, people whose pets were stranded in offices and apartment buildings close by, and from people who were part of the rescue effort and made recommendation for what all of us involved in animal care could learn for any future reference.