First responders and emergency management officials who were on site in the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy have been rightfully honored in the almost two decades since. The teams of K-9 units are now receiving recognition for their efforts in a special exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
“Working alongside their handlers, the four-legged heroes worked tirelessly climbing huge piles of debris while fires still smoldered. The search for signs of life or human remains was mentally and physically taxing on the dogs, as the search dogs began to get discouraged and lose their drive to search,” wrote archivists on the site’s blog. “Veterinarians were stationed at the site to help care for these dogs. Working 12-hour shifts on the pile, the dogs needed to have their paw pads, eyes and nose cleaned often.”
Therapy dogs were also on site to provide comfort to emotionally overwhelmed first responders. The memorial organizers estimate that there were more than 300 dogs working in search, rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
Source:
https://www.911memorial.org/connect/blog/remembering-four-legged-heroes-911-rescue-and-recovery
