Hero Dogs

If you have read my blog in the past, you know that I’m a sucker for dogs. This week there was another dog story and if you missed it here’s the link: http://news.yahoo.com/last-rescue-dog-ground-zero-9-11-125658339.html.

Bretagne is a 15-year old rescue dog who has been nominated for a Hero Dog Award for a lifetime of service. She was only 2-years old when her owner brought her up to NYC after 9/11 to help with search and rescue efforts. She was back in NYC last week, 13 years later.

There were a lot of search and rescue dogs there in September 2001. Bretagne is the only one still alive. She has gone gray and slowed down, but seems to be doing quite well for such a old dog. If she could talk, what would she say about the new skyscraper that stands so near where she once moved quickly and gracefully through the burned out rubble at Ground Zero searching for life or just what had been life before those planes hit the Towers? Does she remember comforting the rescue workers who knew that their efforts were more about recovery than rescue, but still held out hope that someone might be alive down there somewhere? Did she ever ask what happened or why?

Bretagne retired from search and rescue in 2008 and now serves as an ambassador for search and rescue dogs, visiting elementary schools to play with the children while others tell her story. Younger dogs have taken her place and they too will grow old. They will also find themselves searching for whatever is left after disaster strikes. Man’s best friend doing their best in a broken world. We could all learn a lot from our dogs.