Remembering the K9s of 9/11
By Jessica Freni
More than two decades have passed since the tragedy of 9/11 shook NYC and the World. The
terrorist attacks in New York at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and PA killed nearly 3,000
people and brought more than 90,000 volunteers to the disasters working to sift through the
damage to try to locate survivors and recover the lost.
Along with the human volunteers, came dedicated working dogs. These canine heroes
represented various breeds, including: Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds,
Labrador Retrievers, Belgian Shepherds, Keeshond, Portuguese Water Dog, and even a small
Rat Terrier (a SAR dog weighing only 18lbs). These highly trained dogs performed a variety of
functions- Police K9s, Search and Rescue (SAR), cadaver dogs and even therapy dogs. It’s
estimated that more than 300 dogs were employed at 9/11 sites for weeks following the
disasters. (https://www.911memorial.org/connect/blog/four-legged-911-heroes ) 9/11
represented the largest turnout of working dogs to a disaster in US History.
The work of these dogs was difficult and long. It was physically demanding and there were vets
on-site to attend to everything from their dust- filled noses to injured paws, burns and heat
exhaustion. Twenty survivors were recovered by SAR dogs, including the last nearly thirty hours
after the attacks. The last survivor was discovered by a GSD, retired from Canadian Police,
named “Trakr”. In addition to recovering people and bodies, thee dogs also recovered some personal
effects from victims that were able to be returned to their families.
“Two days after arriving and searching for survivors the entire time, Trakr collapsed from smoke
inhalation, exhaustion and burns and was treated for his injuries before returning to Canada.
Later in life Trakr suffered from a degenerative neurological disorder that experts say could have
been caused by his work at Ground Zero. Before Trakr died in April 2009, his DNA was entered
into a cloning contest by Symington and was later chosen for use. In June of that year, five cloned
Trakrs were born.”
(https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2059858_2059863_2060232,
00.html )
The efforts at the terrorist sites of 9/11 was difficult work- physically and emotionally, for both
humans and canines. To reduce stress and demoralizing the working dogs, there were even set up
successful “finds” and dogs reassigned from high stress work to therapy. The first dog on the scene
was an NYPD K9 GSD, “Apollo”, who arrived just fifteen minutes after South Tower collapsed, many
dogs, including Apollo, remained tirelessly working for weeks after, covering long days often 12 or
even 18 hours. (https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/remembering-the-4-legged-heroes-of-9-11 )
The heroism of many 9/11 dogs were awarded various recognitions and memorialized in books,
documentaries, monuments, museum exhibits and yes, even cloning. Unfortunately, many dogs who
worked 9/11 succumbed to diseases and illnesses that may or may not have been linked to their work
(exposure to chemicals, soot and other hazardous materials). (https://www.akc.org/expert-
advice/news/9-11-search-rescue-dogs-health-
studies/#:~:text=Bretagne%2C%20a%202%2Dyear%2D,Center%20(WTC)%20on%20Sept) The
final surviving 9/11 dog passed away in 2016, “Bretagne” (Golden Retriever employed by FEMA) was
16 years old.
To learn more:
https://doggiedailies.com/blogs/news/6-heroic-search-rescue-dogs-of-9-11
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/30/arts/design/the-dogs-of-9-11.html
Sirius, the hero dog of 9/11 https://a.co/d/iTYUIUq
Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs, Tenth-Anniversary
Edition, Revised & Expanded (CompanionHouse Books) Ground Zero, the Pentagon, Flight 93,
IEDs, and More https://a.co/d/a5VW5t5
