Remembering the Canine Heroes of 9/11

Nine years ago on September 11, 2001 the face of the New York City skyline changed forever when terrorists flew two hijacked commercial airliners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Many people lost their lives that day, and many people responded to the tragedy desperate to save the lives of those dying around them. Among those respondents were approximately 300 dogs, dogs trained for search and rescue. Each year on the anniversary of one of the worst terrorist attacks in US history, people gather all over the world to remember the fallen and honor the heroes of 9/11.  The following video courtesy of the Dog Files pays tribute to the canine heroes of 9/11. Those four legged furry rescuers who worked tirelessly alongside their handlers to find anyone alive in the rubble of the twin towers, and when the last live person was found they continued on finding the remains of the fallen and putting loved ones hearts at rest. Today when you stop to remember the fallen and pay tribute to the heroes, remember this video, and take an extra moment to pay tribute to those unsung heroes, the dogs of 9/11.

ONLY in Canada eh?

I was researching Canadian canines involved in the 9/11 rescue efforts for tomorrows blog posting when I came across a news article I just had to share with you. Only in Canada would a city thank a hero in this manner! Just goes to show how backward thinking some people can be.

K-9 Rescue Team Finds World Trade Center Survivor, Then Gets Suspended for It

HALIFAX, NS (Canada) — An exceptionally motivated rescuer and his dog have been suspended from the police force for their miraculous rescue of a survivor in the World Trade Center wreckage last month. Suspended? Don't we mean promoted? Perhaps even elevated-to-demigod-status? Not quite. It seems that they forgot to ask the boss's permission, called in sick to go to New York, and now they're busted.

On September 11, Constable Jamie Symington of the Halifax Regional Police force and his retired police dog "Trakr" watched in horror at the televised coverage of the New York City World Trade Center attacks. Const. Symington and his friend Corporal Joe Hall grabbed their gear, loaded Trakr into a station wagon and drove 15 hours from Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia to Manhattan.

The truant trio arrived at "the pile" on Wednesday morning, September 12, and were quickly led to the still-burning heap of rubble of the south tower.

Trakr, an 8-year-old German Shepherd, had been trained in the Czech Republic and had joined the police force in 1995 at the age of 14 months. After an illustrious six-year career apprehending felons, recovering lost persons and detecting over $1 million of contraband, he was retired in May of this year. Coming out of retirement for one last tour of duty, the dog was faced with a nightmarish, sensory overload that few can imagine.

"It was like nothing [we] had ever seen before," Cpl. Hall describes. "The sounds, the smells, what we saw, it was just incredible." Rescuers found little else but body parts, but on Thursday, September 13, Trakr began to show interest in one particular area of the rubble.

"We knew from his reaction that someone was down there, and it was just a matter of just how far underneath this debris the person might be," says Cpl. Hall. Having indicated the spot, Trakr, Const. Symington and Cpl. Hall deferred to emergency fire crews and moved on."We just kept moving," explains Cpl. Hall. "It was so chaotic there, and having a search dog really cuts down on the search time."

It was several hours before the heroic team would learn that the fifth and final survivor had been pulled from the twisted mass where Trakr had sensed someone. The three labored on tirelessly, often in hazardous burning areas where they had to be suddenly evacuated. On Friday, September 14, Trakr collapsed in exhaustion and required emergency veterinary care. After being treated with intravenous fluids, he was taken off the job, and the three rescuers left to return home.

The survivor, 32-year-old Genelle Guzman, never met her four-legged rescuer. She has spent three weeks recovering at Bellvue Hospital, where doctors believe she will make a slow recovery from her extensive injuries. Ms. Guzman had climbed down 64 flights after the south tower was hit and was on the 13th floor when the entire building collapsed upon her, crushing her legs and pinning her there for 28 hours in complete darkness and silence.

Trakr and Const. Symington

"Pain shot through me from what seemed like every direction," she recalled. "I called out, screaming until I was hoarse. I thought there had to be others. Nobody answered me...Nobody else from my office survived."

Const. Symington has been keeping quiet since the rescue. He appeared on one televised news interview last week which was what got him into trouble with his superiors at the Halifax Police Department. Police Chief David McKinnon indicated the problem "became apparent when we saw him on TV."

"Considering where he was and what he was allegedly doing, the public, I'm sure, will dictate whether this was the right thing for management to do," says Chief McKinnon, speaking about Const. Symington's indefinite suspension (with pay). "We're going to stand by him and provide him with whatever resources he needs, until he gets his day in court."

Copyright © 2001 Canine Nation. All rights reserved.

Now I am sure if I dug a little deeper I would find that Constable Symington was reinstated, but what kind of a moron suspends a man from his job for taking a day off to be a hero in a crisis? I for one commend Symington for grabbing his gear and his dog and going where they could be of some assistance. So I ask you all when you take that moment of silence tomorrow, to remember Constable Symington and his dog Trakr in your hearts and your prayers. At the same time remember the 300 dogs who worked along side rescuers after this terrible terrorist attack.