The terrorist attacks of September 2001 called for unity and co-operation. It created a massive impact on US history. Bretagne a search and rescue dog helped out. Dogs were out in the field to detect explosives and to provide comfort. They also served as trackers to see if there was anyone trapped in the debris.
There were more than three hundred dogs who helped during those tough times. One of them was Bretagne, a fluffy Golden Retriever with high intelligence and a goofy smile. She was two years old when she was out on her first mission. She went with her owner, Denise Corliss.
Corliss and Bretagne worked for ten days at Ground Zero, twelve hours a day for two weeks non-stop. Corliss was a volunteer and knew that she needed to have Bretagne trained for rescue operations. The pooch began her training when she was only eight weeks old.
The two became registered FEMA partners. They’ve worked as a duo during Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita. Bretagne stopped from doing formal search rescues at nine years old. She served at her local fire department as an ambassador of goodwill.
Many people had lost someone they loved. The dogs and the rescuers worked so hard, hoping to find someone. In the end, there was not a single one who survived the attacks.
The rescuers felt tension and pressure. Their jobs were grave and dangerous as they were risking their security. Bretagne, along with hundreds of others, served as therapy dogs to ease the tension even for just a few minutes.
People remember Bretagne as a courageous dog. There were times when Corliss got so worried for her because Bretagne would do anything to complete her duty regardless of the conditions. She once went to a dangerous place to save a puppy merely dangling from the edge. Bretagne was never one to give up even when she was still a pup.
Bretagne also served as a reading assistance dog to children during her later years. It shows that reading out loud to dogs helped increase a child’s confidence to read out loud. The children also learn to read faster because the dog removes the pressure on their minds.
Bretagne was the last to live among the 9/ 11 hero dogs. She was laid to rest in June 2016. Given a hero’s exit as a tribute to her service. Below is a moving video of the exit of the last 9/11 search and rescue dog.
Source: TexasOrange41 via YouTube
