09/11/2026
Today we remember the four legged heroes of 9/11. Twenty five years later and we still marvel at the many incredible stories.
Apollo was one of the first dogs to arrive on the scene. He was almost killed by falling debris and flames. After a check up he insisted on continuing.
The most memorable photo of the day was that of Riley, the Golden Retriever. He was never a formally trained cadaver dog. His job was to find the still living. Finding so many deceased humans took a toll on him and the other dogs. Periodically the firefighters would hide in the rubble so they could be "found alive" to help the dogs keep going.
These are just some of the many stories of more than 300 dogs that day that helped to find people, and bring comfort to the rescuers.
This day reminds us how incredible animals are. We also hope that people take a moment today to remember some of the animals that we never think about - the rodents. While we hope many were able to escape, we face the grim reality that every day rats and other wildlife try to peacefully exist while people in cities try to kill them in brutal ways.
Going forward, let's all work to help the wild counterparts of the animals we all love, exist more safely and peacefully with us.
Be kind to one another and the smallest amongst us.
#911
