Honoring the Heroic Hounds of 9/11

THE GREATEST GUIDE DOG  

On 9/11, Roselle and her owner were on the 78th floor of World Trade Center Tower One when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building. Remaining calm and composed, Roselle gracefully led her owner down 1,463 stairs and up Broadway, away from the WTC. Through dust and debris, she guided him to safety, finding an entrance to a subway station and saving her owner's life.

SEARCH AND RESCUE 

A search dog and rescue workers look for survivors in the debris of the World Trade Center. 

CANINE COUNSEL  

Eli the Belgian Sheepdog was no ordinary canine. He was one of the first therapy dogs to help comfort survivors and first responders in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sherry Hanley, his handler, recalled how a first responder reacted to Eli when he met the dog. On her website, she wrote, "As the guard (I never got his name) stroked Eli’s head, I could see the smile come back to his face as he wiped away the tears." Eli helped numerous workers in the days he was stationed wearing a harness with a deputy badge and a black band to remember the fallen.

K-9 UNIT 

K-9 search dogs with their handlers go back to duty following their treatment at a veterinary hospital unit a week after 9/11. As many as 100 dogs searched for victims on the site of the World Trade Center collapse, and were checked after each stint of duty. The dogs were bathed and checked for dehydration, chemical inhalation and other potential dangers. 

THE FRENCH FIDO FORCE 

A member of the French Urban Search and Rescue Task Force works with his Alsatian to uncover survivors at the site of the collapsed World Trade Center. 

SIXTH SENSE

Trakr the German Shepherd helped sniff out survivors from under the rubble of New York's World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. His owner, James Symington, said he and Trakr were among the first search-and-rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero, and were responsible for locating the last human survivor under about 30 feet of debris. Symington loved Trakr so much that he decided to clone him. Shortly before Trakr's death, Symington entered "Best Friends Again," an essay contest sponsored by BioArts International to find the world's most "clone-worthy" dog. In June 2009, five Trakr clone puppies were born. The hero dog's legacy lives on. 

PRECIOUS PAUSE 

A working search-and-rescue dog squeezes in a nap with the FDNY during a break. 

SAGE SWEETHEART 

Sage was 2 years old when she began serving her country. Just a few weeks after training, Sage was sent to work in the 9/11 aftermath at the Pentagon. She was later deployed to Iraq. After Sage died, a foundation was formed in honor of her heroism. Learn more about this special canine. 

THUNDER HERO 

Kent Olson and his dog, Thunder, came all the way from Lakewood, Wash. to help search through the rubble for victims at the World Trade Center. Even though the trip was exhausting, Thunder did as much as he possibly could have done to help. 

POLICE PROWESS 

Police dogs geared up as they fearlessly headed into the WTC. 

THE RESTING PLACE 

A search dog is pictured sniffing through the rubble at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, where the remains of the fallen World Trade Center's twin towers were brought. 

SAUL AND SHANNON 

Saul Apunte and his dog, Shannon, rest a bit after a day of searching for survivors. 

RESCUE DOG BENEFIT 

Suffolk County SPCA Chief of Department Roy Gross and his K-9, Cody, stand next to US Calvary's Paul Morgan with rescue dog Cody Bear outside of the Chelsea Hotel during the WTC Search and Rescue Dog Benefit.

DOG DIGGERS

Keffler the German Shepherd sniffs around with his handler as they dig through rubble at the WTC.