This book is a major tribute to all K9 Search/Recovery Teams throughout the world and to the many long, long hours of training and hard work preparing for such a grueling service. The content brings forward the various personalities; human and K9 which make a dedicated team who give 120 percent to the community; "bringing those lost home to their loved ones". It's through the eyes and ears of great authors that the public becomes increasingly aware of the many facets in the lives of K9 search teams. Thank you... Michael, Annie & K9 Boomer Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America's Search and Rescue Dogs
Five long years later, it's long over-due that many of these dogs were recognized for something very few want to acknowledge - recovery and the importance of loved ones being able to say good-bye. These are the stories of many handlers and their dogs in the days following the aftermath of 9-11, not only at the more obvious sites of Ground Zero and the Pentagon - but also the K9 effort at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. These dogs worked their hearts out, it's time these 4-legged volunteers and the jobs they did is made public.
I first found out about this book from reading a news paper article about the USAR K-9 teams of Texas Task Force 1 in The San Antonio Express News about what they went through on 9/11 five years ago. Having a strong interest in K-9 teams and possibly wanting to consider it as a career one day I knew I had to get it. After reading this book for the first time I have to say that it was definitely well worth it. Never before have I read such a gripping account of Search and Rescue K-9 teams. This book goes into great detail about the sequences of events that triggered the unparelled nation-wide response from complete strangers. If you had a trained dog on 9/11 chances are your pager went off or your phone rang that morning calling you away to answer the call of duty. From never before seen photographs and emotionally charged first hand accounts of K-9 handlers Author Nora Bauer puts the reader in the center of the action like no other writer can. From the sights and heartwrenching experiences of Ground Zero, to the massive recovery effort at the Pentagon and finally to sifting through human remains of a catastrophy at the Fresh Kills Landfill across the river from Manhattan in New Jersey. This story not only examines the harrowing aspect of Search and recovery work but it also delves deep into the emotions and mind set of dogs and their handlers as they endure punishing eight to twelve hour shifts combing through the rubble and to providing emotional support to firefighters and other rescue workers on site that had lost some much in such a short period of time. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and it really is true because when you look into the eyes of the Search dogs after a long tour you read the kind of emotions they're feeling just by looking at the sad and often rejected expressions on their faces. If anyone thinks that dogs don't feel the same emotions that people do this book will certainly prove you dead wrong. Search and Rescue dogs come in all different breeds and each have their own unique set of skills that they brought to the table following the attacks of 9/11. From Border Collies, German Sheperds, Golden Retrievers and Belgium Malenois. All were trained as either live find or Cadaver dogs. And sometimes one dog would be cross trained in both disciplines which would be needed in the days following the attacks. Over the years and especially after 9/11 the media has emphasised the actions of everyday heroes. Everything from firefighters, police officers and most recently the brave service men and women of our armed forces but this book introduces you to a new breed of heroes; the unsung heroes of September 11, the Search and Rescue dogs who brought relief and in many ways closure to the families and to the rescuers of September 11, 2001. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a dog lover. It's a must Read for the whole family.
Each story gives you a small insight of what it was like to work the mountain of ruble that was once The World Trade Center. There has never been a book like this one to give such honor to Search and Rescue teams.
A lot of people have dogs. A small percentage of them are working dogs: working sheep or cattle, guiding the blind, sniffing for contraband or whatever. An even smaller percentage are trained in search and rescue. in the aftermath of 9/11 a good many of these animals were brought to either the World Trade Center or Pentagon sites where they searched first for people and then for bodies.
As the sub-title says, this book is a tribute to those dogs who worked at the sites, and to Sirius, a port authority bonb-detection dog was killed at the World Trade Center. The format of the book is that each of the dogs brought to work there (from all across the country) is profiled along with their handler/trainer. Following that is a general descritption of the training that these animals undergo to become FEMA certified.
This book so well done that it makes people who are not dog lovers feel good that man's best friend is a friend indeed.
All the stories are very short 2 to 3 page stories that really touch the heart of animal lovers. Makes a great read.
Warning, you will need a box of tissues for some of the stories.
Five Stars does not do this book justice.
The book is beautiful. If you are a dog lover, I highly recommend it. It will make you cry and make you know how special our 4-legged buddies are.
Thank you for documenting these stories and sharing them with us. It helps to remind us, beautifully I might add, of one of the darkest and most horrific days in our short history. This is a day we should never forget.
If you're a fan of K9 helpers like me, you'll love this book. It was a great look at so many dogs, their trainers, and their stories. Truly great to see and read about all these dogs, their efforts make you feel warm inside :) - Inspirational - Sumner - Animal Rescue - 911'
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