Remembering the 9/11 Search and Rescue Dog Heroes 20 Years Later

When our country was in peril , intrepid four - legged responders apace answer the call of duty , even as the scent of anguish still lingered in the air . Intent in their purpose , more than 300 search and delivery ( SAR ) dogs lead 9/11 calamity emergency personnel department into loom crannies of fiery ruins and fields of scattered debris , hoping for any mark of life . Mere day after the attacks , SAR flight simulator Ann Wichmann(left ) go far on the scene of the World Trade Center in New York City with Jenner , her 9 - year - previous blackLabrador retriever . The land site was still glow . " It was 12 to 15 level high of detritus and twisted steel . My first thought process was , ' I ca n’t send off Jenner into that — there ’s no room ' , '' she tells Daily Paws . " They shit us at the gamey end near the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church so we could just kind of pose there and watch it for a while and see how it was being managed and how it might work . " When the attack honcho asked if she ’d be willing to have Jenner search , she said yes , but was grateful for that orientation course time . " Jenner was taking in the sights , smells , and energy as much as I was . " Wichmann recalls the experience as a " compendium of emotions , cerebration , and accomplishment " to navigate the hazards of the pile , trying to find dependable pathways for Jenner . " It ’s really like to a parent ’s panic . At one point , he evaporate down a cakehole under the rubble and I was like , ' uggggg ! ' Such a core - stop bit for me , " she says . " But you have to acquire the patience and the reliance in his being and training . And he did a good and salutary line of work . "

Tragedy Strikes

On September 11 , 2001 , the terrorist group Al Qaeda hijacked four planes in the United States . Two jampack into the World Trade Center ( WTC ) , another into the Pentagon in Washington , D.C. The last , United Flight 93 , crashed in a sphere near Shanksville , Pa. , after passengers who already knew about the premature incident fought with the terrorist to bring down the plane and avoid a greater passing of aliveness at another major object .

In an interview with theAmerican Kennel Club , Debra Tosch , executive director of theNational Disaster Search Dog Foundationsaid , “ Most people in this country had never heard of catastrophe hunting dogs [ before 9/11 ] . ” Extensive media coverage of the calamity shew the determined dogs in natural action .

First on the Scene

The NYPD ’s K-9 Urban Search and Rescue squad get at priming zero 15 minute after the South Tower , one of the two Twin Towers at the WTC , crock up . Of the many grand dogs working in multiple shifts for weeks on remnant , one was aGerman shepherdnamed Appollo , with manager Peter Davis . Some reports indicate K-9s on this team work 12 - hour days .

Wichmann says SAR dogs are ordinarily rail in two major categories : trailing aroma on the ground fortrackingand location ; and air perfume , used for sphere hunt , human being remains detection , avalanche , water hunt , diseases , and evidence hunting .

Organized Response

Wichmann , shown here with Jenner en route to the WTC ’s ground zero , is a pioneer in SAR dog grooming . For virtually 20 years , she help develop the teaching programme and national criterion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) Disaster Search Canine Readiness Program ( now part of the agency’sNational Urban Search & Rescue Response System ) and was involved in other aspect of FEMA ’s cuspid leadership efforts .

Now 28 modern labor military unit around the country let in highly skilled canine tooth responders for born and manmade catastrophe . ThroughJenner ’s Run , Wichmann continues to train dogs and suffice as an judge for legion SAR organizations .

The Courage to Prevail

Wichmann says SAR dogs have to be physically competent , like an jock , with a prospicient lifetime . They also require what she calls “ focussed vigor equals effort ” to get the job done , even while sensing the holy terror all around them in emotionally complex situations . “ They need courage , and the ability to deal with their own fears and insecurity and run in very difficult circumstances , ” she says .

But nothing could have prepared the dogs or their handlers for a disaster of this magnitude , affect thousands of lives . Before 9/11 , the only cataclysm that came close to challenging SAR canines was the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City , Okla. , in 1995 , which killed 168 people .

Paws on the Ground

FEMA deploy 20 certify urban SAR teams to New York City , which included detection at ground zero as well as at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island , N.Y. , where dog searched more than 2 million tons of debris . Another five FEMA team worked the Pentagon land site . Other SAR wiener squad and constabulary K-9 officers helped as well . Bravery appear in all shape and sizes .

Tenacious Ricky was arat terrieronly 17 inches tall . TheSeattle Timesreported that Ricky work 10 consecutive nights with handler Janet Linker of the Seattle Fire Department . Trakr , a German shepherd from Canada , scoured detritus with his police ship’s officer handler James Symington . Bretagne , a 2 - yr - oldgolden retriever , joined animal trainer and electrical engineer Denise Corliss as part of the Texas Task Force 1 .

Training for Success

However , no matter how skilled the dogs were , the work was beyond grueling , and they require to roll in the hay they were on track . In addition to Jenner , Wichmann had another SAR black Lab onsite , Merlyn , who was Jenner ’s 2 - class - one-time boy and handled by trainer Matt Clausen . About four day into their chore , Merlyn locate some human remains . Wichmann state she asked the firefighter if she could channelize Jenner to the same author so he could whiff the area — then honor him for it , thus revitalizing him for the search .

“ In many situations , it would be so insensitive to do that , but I explain why it function and they understood , ” Wichmann enjoin . Shortly thereafter , she sent Jenner to another sight that had n’t been scouted yet . He disappeared briefly , then scoot back to her . “ I told them ‘ When you ’re done here , go right up there where he just was , because he just found something . ’ obviously , it was a full - incarnate firefighter . ”

Reinforcing the Human-Animal Bond

“ That berth really increase the trust and awareness of how much dogs serve us , ” Wichmann says . “ One of the fire chiefs came up to me later and said , ‘ The dogs are finding everything . Thank you . ’ And it ’s so much gentle on the human rescuer to have a dog handler say , ‘ My weenie just find something right up there ’ and now , they ’re emotionally prepared to detect something really awful . ”

Wichmann says in a large - scale catastrophe such as 9/11 , coach do n’t always know exactly how successful their wiener ’ find charge per unit is or the SAR recuperation numbers . But she ’s well - aware of the vital world-wide comfort they offer that sustains multitude at every level . “ One time , a priest involve to hug my hot dog , and just knelt down and had a moment . This happened more often than not . Or first responder would ask to sit down with us during a rest full point so they could pet the hound . ”

After nearly 50 eld of grooming , she says she ’s still astounded by what dogs are subject of and amazed by what they altruistically do for us .

Colorado Task Force member Ann Wichmann walking across a large pile of rubble with her search and rescue 9/11 dog Jenner at the World Trade Center site

Photo: FEMA / Getty

Resilient to the End

Cynthia M. Otto , DVM , Ph.D. , is a professor of Working Dog Sciences and Sports Medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania . After her 9/11 veterinary deployment , she and other investigator have expend the preceding 20 years analyse the wellbeing of SAR dogs and of the 9/11 responders in special .

One studyfeatured 95 SAR responder at 9/11 , and 55 SAR professional not part of that effort . The immense absolute majority lived well , mentally and physically , after their help at 9/11 . “ These dogs have an unbelievable kinship with their mate , ” Otto tell . “ They have a purpose and a job and the mental stimulation of training . My guess is that makes a difference , too . ”

But some sensitive souls were n’t as golden . According toFox 11 , Worf , a German shepherd , found two firefighters on his first day “ and was immediately retired . ” Handler Mike Owens stated , " He kind of crawfish from everything . There was so much death there , it was excited for the dogs . "

A man in fatigues uses a dog to search a car on 9/11

Getty

More to Learn

There are many iconic look-alike imprinted upon us from this tragedy , but one in particular stands out : this exposure of Riley , a 4 - class - sometime Golden retriever being safely transmit out of the WTC wreckage and back to animal trainer Chris Selfridge .

Even 20 years subsequently , hundred of chronicle continue to emerge of the valor displayed by these unshakable front - line responders . as luck would have it , two different museum showing are dedicated to them to aid us understand more about their contribution .

Through January 2 , 2022 , theAmerican Kennel Club Museum of the Dogin Manhattan features9/11 Remembered : Search and Rescue Dogs . It showcases the chronicle of SAR canine and their endeavor in the days and hebdomad following the attempt .

9/11 Dog sitting with two men in blue helmets

Mario Tama / Getty

Continued Honor

K-9 Courageat the9/11 Memorial & Museumin Manhattan is on display through Spring 2022 . Photographer Charlotte Dumas create a portrayal visibility of 15 frump approximately 10 years after the disaster , include a clean - muzzled Merlyn , comfortably retired in his Colorado home base , and Bretagne , who died in 2016 as the last 9/11 SAR hero . The exhibit also features photo and artefact of working dogs and cataclysm reply veterinary teams .

Also highlighted is Sirius , a golden lab who ’s weigh the only K-9 fatal accident of the 9/11 delivery efforts . After the South Tower flop , his remains were later on recovered in 2002 in the wreckage and ceremoniously take with a full honour guard .

Remembered Glory

Valiant Jenner , who passed away three class after 9/11 , is immortalized as well . hunting and Rescue Dogs of the United States , an organization Wichmann helped found , create a " stuffie " to honour his courageous exertion not only at the WTC , but also his study as a FEMA Type I Disaster Canine , a Wilderness Search Canine , and a certify Park Ranger Service Dog .

“ I ’m often take who are my sterling teachers , ” Wichmann says . “ And I always say my dogs . ”

9/11 service dog Jenner standing with Ann Wichmann indoors