Thread by @KweenJosie

For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I am honoring the search and rescue dogs of 9/11.

The goodest bois and girls of all.

While I can’t recognize all 300 SAR dogs enlisted, I’ll do as many as I can. ❤️ grab your own pup and Kleenex and read along

The above photo is the iconic Riley, being transported out of the debris of the World Trade Center September 15, 2001 (U.S. Navy Photo by Jim Watson/Getty Images)
Riley never gave up looking for the living. ❤️

Bretagne was 2 when she and her handler, Denise Corliss, were part of the Texas Task Force 1 sent to Ground Zero, They spent 10 days at the scene searching rubble for human remains. She died in 2016 at age 16, as the last surviving 9/11 rescue dog. What a Good girl. ❤️

James Symington and his German shepherd, Trakr, searching through rubble at the World Trade Center tower collapse site in New York, on Sept. 13, 2001. This good boi found the last remaining survivor and has been cloned to create many more brilliant dogs just like him.

Coby & Guinness were two lab rescue dogs that responded to the 9/11 attack. They worked 12 hour work days for 11 days straight on the massive scale attack, which went beyond the scope and imagining of anything they had faced in their training. Together, they found 12 survivors

Appollo, a German Shepherd who worked with the first NYPD K-9 Urban Search and Rescue team, responded with his handler, Peter Davis. They were the first K-9 search and rescue team to respond to the site, arriving at the South Tower just 15 minutes & worked 18hr days.

Worf, was a gentle soul, he found the remains of two firefighters on his first day and had to be immediately retired. He stopped eating and was so affected that he shut down. His handler Mike Owens said, "There was so much death there, it was emotional for the dogs."

Tuff and Tara both arrived on 9/11 and searched for 8 days.

Thunder, a golden retriever owned by Kent Olson, and Ricky, a rat terrier owned by Janet Linker, were given the terrifying, dangerous task of working the night shift.

Ricky’s small size was ideal for slipping into spaces that larger dogs were unable to reach, and when he located a survivor, he would bark continuously until help arrived.

Jake was a stray rescued in Utah at just 10 months old. Jake was only done with his job when he and Mary were sure there were no survivors left to be found. Jake went on to provide search and rescue for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, work as a therapy dog, and taught other dogs.

Sage searched the rubble of the Pentagon, where she found the body of one of the hijackers.

Hansen, a Belgian Shepherd Dog, worked on site for 150 days alongside his handler, Steve Smaldon, then-chief of the Lindenhusrt Fire Department. Hansen found the body of NYPD Officer John William Perry, who had been hours away from retiring when the attacks occurred.

Roselle and Salty were working as guide dogs for their blind masters on September 11th, 2001. Salty guided survivors from the 71st floor and Roselle from the 78th floor of the North tower.

Storm, the German Shepherd and his handler David Sanabria. Storm was never mistaken when indicating that he had found someone.

You can barely see where good boi Otto, a certified cadaver search dog is, in the midst of the massive debris pile at the Pentagon.  Sonja Heritage, was his handler.

Here is Bear getting drink of water during a rest break from searching through the rubble. Bear was one of the first dogs to arrive on the scene and get right to work.

And this is Tikva, A Keeshound therapy dog owned by Cindy Ehlers, Tikva provided emotional relief to exhausted and discouraged rescue workers. She would ride the ferry to comfort grieving family members who were traveling to see the spot where they had lost their loved ones

This statue stands outside Houston where Bretagne retired. The plaque reads, "Bretagne's years of service remind all of us how to live our best possible lives. Although she is no longer with us, her spirit lives on through those who serve."

May we never forget any of them. ❤️