09/11/2026
🇺🇸 September 11 — We Remember
Today, we pause to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001, to honor the countless first responders, both two legged and four legged, who answered the call.
🐾 More than 300 dogs are estimated to have taken part in the response at Ground Zero. Working alongside their handlers, these remarkable dogs searched for survivors, helped with recovery efforts, and provided comfort to exhausted and grieving responders.
The conditions were incredibly difficult. Search and rescue dogs climbed across unstable rubble and worked through dust, smoke, heat, broken glass, and twisted steel. Veterinary teams were there to support them, treating and monitoring problems such as cut paw pads, eye irritation, dehydration, exhaustion, and heat related illness.
One of those dogs was Bretagne, a 2 year old Golden Retriever and newly certified FEMA search and rescue dog. Ground Zero was her very first deployment. She would later become the last known surviving search and rescue dog from the 9/11 response, living to age 16.
The service of these dogs also left a lasting impact on veterinary medicine. Researchers followed 9/11 search and rescue dogs for years, helping us better understand the health and safety of working dogs deployed into hazardous environments.
On this day of remembrance, we honor every life lost, every first responder who served, and the extraordinary K-9 partners who worked beside them.
We will never forget. 🇺🇸🐾
#911
