A new relationship with animals, nature and each other.

Animals at Ground Zero

Animals at Ground Zero

Heroes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds
The dogs and their people who risked their lives to save others

Meet One of the Dog Teams
“We were a team, and if something wasn’t safe for the dogs, we would say.”

Pier 40: Heart of the Operation
How the animal rescue teams came together

The Four-Legged Heroes
How Dorado led his blind person to safety

Search & Rescue, Canine Style
The Suffolk Country crew sets up the MASH unit

Where Are They Now?
The dogs of 9/11 – 10 years later

Pets in Peril
Tweety-Pye gets left behind

Diary of a K-9 Team
Paul Morgan and Cody join the FEMA team

Preparing for Animal Care in a Disaster
A few quick tips to help keep you safe

If You’re an Animal Organization
Working together to build an emergency coalition

A Snapshot of the E-mails
“I am an active duty Marine. My 10 cats and 2 dogs will not have a home if we go to war…”

Other Websites

A Memorial Roster
Many of the dogs who worked at Ground Zero suffered serious health problems and passed away in the years that followed.

A Tribute
A preview to radio talk-show host Steve Dale’s book called Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs.

Heroes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds

They were among the great heroes of 9/11 – the dogs and their people who searched the wreckage, risking their own lives to save the lives of others. Many of them, human and canine became sick in the months and years that followed, from breathing in toxic dust and fumes that poisoned the air at Ground Zero.

Today, most of the dogs have passed on. But they will not be forgotten. (And those who still survive have a tribute in a book of photos, Retrieved, that tells their story.)

By Michael Mountain

In the days following the attack, I stayed closely in touch with the director of New York City’s Animal Haven, Marcello Forte, who had been called down to Ground Zero to help manage supplies that were being donated from all over the country to help the animals. There were medical supplies for the search-and-rescue dogs; food and other gifts for pets who were suddenly homeless; help for the animal shelters who found themselves overflowing with new arrivals.

Marcello became our eyes and ears on the ground there. Here’s a digest of what he reported in the days that followed, along with first-hand stories from people who were part of the rescue team, people whose pets were stranded in offices and apartment buildings close by, and from people who were part of the rescue effort and made recommendation for what all of us involved in animal care could learn for any future reference.

Next: Meet One of the Dog Teams