Search and Rescue Dogs of 9/11

As we solemnly remember the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country, we take time to acknowledge the role that our canine companions played in the recovery efforts.  In the aftermath of the World Trade Center collapse, canine search and rescue teams were deployed to skillfully search the rubble for signs of life.  The dogs suffered many of the same challenges as their human handlers; cuts and abrasions from the debris, breathing difficulties due to the dust and other respiratory irritants, and mental and physical exhaustion from their daunting task of searching for survivors.  These dogs and their handlers that served in the 9/11 clean up were teams that had been trained for months in advance for disasters of any kind through the Search Dog Foundation (www.searchdogfoundation.org).  The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation was founded in 1996 with the mission to strengthen the disaster response efforts across the world.    Wilma Melville, the unlikely founder of SDF was a retired Physical Education teacher and grandmother of four children when she began her retirement endeavor of training her Black Lab, Murphy.  She and Murphy were deployed to the site of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.  She soon recognized the value of search and rescue teams as well as the need for more and more highly skilled teams that could be deployed on short notice anywhere in the world.  To date, the SDF has deployed teams to the site Hurricane Katrina, the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, and the tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri and Oklahoma City among other disaster sites.  The SDF recruits dogs from shelters and breed specific rescue groups to train as search and rescue dogs. Many of the characteristics in a dog that may lead naïve, frustrated owners to surrender their dogs are the very characteristics that are key in a good search and rescue (SAR) dog.  Successful SAR dogs must be bold, energetic and athletic with excellent focus and intensity and the need to work. They have a strong prey / play drive and the insatiable appetite to play and not stop until the “toy” or human is found.  They must be able to filter out loud and sudden noises and other distractions that are common on the worksite.  They must be sure footed and in good health with the ability to endure extreme temperatures.  Common breeds used in SAR are Border Collies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds.  Dogs that do not successfully complete the SDF training program are carefully placed with loving families through their Lifetime Care program.  How ironic is it that many of the dogs who have been thoughtlessly surrendered to the shelter have risen to the status of national heroes?  Truly one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  We are forever grateful for their service.