Heroes worth remembering: the Ground Zero dogs who served after 9/11

If I told you that there’s a group of people who, for generation after generation, were devoted to being experts in: Lifesaving in crises; medical detection; law enforcement; finding hidden weapons, drugs, cash and more; military operations; conservation efforts and protecting our homes by finding termites and bed bugs – not to mention water sources.

And then, if I told you these expert people did all this for free, just for the love of their fellow humans, you would probably not believe me.

Now, let me tell you that this group of remarkable, compassionate lifesavers isn’t even human. It is canine. It is our dogs, the only other species that is truly a member of the human family and has been for thousands of years. Dogs do all these critical things for us and so much more. I don’t have room in this piece to list all the expert capabilities they perform for their human companions out of nothing more than love and devotion.

Dogs were true heroes on 'The Pile'

On Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the attack on the World Trade Center, I and some other New York City vets organized the veterinary MASH unit for Ground Zero.

"The Pile," as it was known – the enormous mountain of red hot, burning debris from the twin towers and other buildings that were destroyed the day before – was just two blocks from our medical unit.

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Everyone’s goal was to find survivors, and the New York City Fire Department – which had lost hundreds that day – along with the New York Police Department and firefighters and police officers from services throughout the tri-state region were doing their valiant utmost. But the conditions were horrific. Staggering heat; thick, contaminated air; science-fiction-like debris. It was a scene from Dante’s Inferno. The rescue workers were severely challenged.

And then the search-and-rescue dogs arrived.

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I was told that the only airplanes permitted into New York’s airports those first days were those carrying these dogs (along with other rescue personnel), and they flew first class. Some came from Switzerland. Others from Canada. Still others were driven by their handlers from California straight through without stopping. They were German shepherds, Labradors and Belgian Malinois.

And all were there to climb onto that frightening pile to find survivors. No questions asked, no objections heard.

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Our job at the veterinary MASH unit was to vet the dogs before their entry onto The Pile to ensure they were healthy enough to do their jobs, and then to vet them again when they came out to tend to any injuries they might have suffered. We worked 14-hour shifts, our faces covered by professional respirators and goggles. It was brutal, and we were the lucky ones, two whole blocks away.

When the dogs’ “working” vests were put on them, their demeanor changed instantly. They were now professional search and rescuers, and there wasn’t a hint of playfulness or distraction to be seen.

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Sadly, I have to report that while there were some injuries – burns and cuts and the like, nothing too major – the dogs did suffer. They emerged from The Pile completely listless. Lifeless. Even after their working vests were removed, they just lay there. Not hungry, not responsive. Depressed, I thought.

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Of course the dogs were depressed, I realized; they had failed. Not one dog found a survivor because there were no survivors.

What to do? My colleagues and I conceived of the idea of a dog toy drive. We put the call out to all the local animal hospitals and shelters: We needed happy dog toys. Squeakies. Balls with bells. Good smelling toys. And fast.

The call was answered, and that did the trick. Tails finally began to wag, and the dogs started coming back to life, to being dogs again. Their exhausted handlers cheered up as well.

After three days working at Ground Zero, I hung up my respirator. I, too, was deeply saddened by the tragic events of 9/11 – I still am – but I had witnessed a golden moment: Dogs so devoted to rescuing humans that they sat still with nary a whimper while way up in the air, in a sling hoist, as a towering crane lifted them, up and then out over the burning, fuming, steaming pile – and then lowered them down right onto it.

So devoted to their mission of saving people that despite the heat, the inability to breathe (they had no respirators) and the jagged metal debris they walked on, they did their utmost to find any human survivors of that awful day. They were willing to give us their all.

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I will never forget the devotion of those dogs to us humans that I witnessed at Ground Zero. And all in exchange for our love. And a cookie.

I want readers to appreciate how remarkable dogs are. Sure, they snuggle and lick our faces. But they also willingly risk their lives and descend into hellish conditions to try to rescue people in need. When you give your dog a hug and kiss, also say “thank you.”

Dr. Amy Attas founded New York's City Pets in 1992 to provide veterinary care in the comfort of home. Attas has been awarded the Award of Merit and the Outstanding Service to Veterinary Medicine by the Veterinary Medical Association of New York City. 

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ground Zero dogs who served after 9/11 were real heroes