Last Known Living 9/11 Search And Rescue Dog Has One Final Amazing Return To New York City

SteveHolt10 years ago

Friday marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. The devastating nonsensical acts of violence traumatized our nation. Thousands of people, both civilians and rescue workers, lost their lives that day. It changed this country forever.

Two-year-old Bretagne, a golden retriever, was a member of Texas Task Force One when she and her handler made the trip to Ground Zero. She is the last known living dog who assisted in search and rescue missions in NYC.

From ABC 7:

Sept. 11 was Bretagne and Corliss’ first deployment. As the mission shifted from rescue to recovery, Corliss said Bretagne stayed focused.

“When our task force arrived in Ground Zero, I just couldn’t believe the magnitude,” Corliss said. “And I looked down at her, and she seemed stoic and ready to work.”

Bretagne is the last known surviving dog of the 100 who joined the rescue efforts, according to Bark Post. In addition to search-and-rescue skills, Bretagne is an excellent therapy dog, Corliss said, and she still volunteers at elementary schools.

“She represents working dogs and the disaster dogs in particular,” Corliss said. “They all are deserving for a day like today.”

For her 16th birthday, New York gave Bretagne the send off of her life. Limo rides, hotel rooms, toys and attention — not much more a pup could want. If you’re not a dog person, you might find this video a little corny. But I loved every second of it.

Dogs are amazing, and I think we can all agree that Bretagne is an American hero..

[via ABC 7]

Image via YouTube