May 08, 2004
DOGS ARE OUR FRIENDS
One item in the mass of reporting immediately post 9/11 mentioned that the rescue dogs at Ground Zero were becoming distressed because, well, there was nobody at all to rescue. Handlers had to arrange fake rescues -- hiding themselves in the rubble -- to make the dogs happy again.
Here’s a slideshow tribute to the beautiful dogs of 9/11. You won’t believe how compelling it is.
(Via Florida Cracker.)
Posted by Tim Blair at May 8, 2004 03:55 AMIt wasn't just rescue dogs!
I live upstate and medical facilities, doctors, nurses, etc were all being mobilized. My mom, a retired nurse, was called and asked to standby for the expected thousands of injured.
Hospitals from Syracuse, Utica, Rome, etc were all poised to spring into action and when it became clear that NO ONE was coming out of there, the depression here was palpable.
Five local high schools lost graduates that day including an old friend's brother on Flight 93. We wanted so much to help but couldn't do a thing.
If/when another attack comes, a "dirty bomb" say, we'll probably be asked to take in the 'refugees'.
Posted by: JDB at May 8, 2004 at 05:52 AMI noticed there weren't any pictures of rescue cats. What gives?
By the way, great slideshow.
Posted by: Kelly at May 8, 2004 at 05:58 AMI could do without the Maria Cary tune, but the photos are terrific. Thank goodness for dogs. How about the Free World's Best Friend?
Posted by: Dibble at May 8, 2004 at 06:10 AMKelly: I thought dogs had far better sense of smell than cats.
Posted by: Patrick Chester at May 8, 2004 at 06:29 AMwhat better animal to use on 9/11 than a dog. islamists hate dogs almost as much as they hate americans
Posted by: Oktober at May 8, 2004 at 06:43 AMThanks, Tim. That was truly beautiful. I've linked to it from my site as well.
Posted by: Barry N. Johnson at May 8, 2004 at 07:05 AMI strongly suggest that anyone who sees this slideshow go a little further and follow the "Git Ander" link. I also strongly suggest that anyone who does... and has a problem with what they read... put the list of email and other addresses to good use.
Posted by: DaveP. at May 8, 2004 at 07:22 AMCurse you for making me watch that. I'm misting over here ...
Posted by: Bill from INDC Journal at May 8, 2004 at 08:57 AMWhat, they didn't have any plastic turkeys the dogs could mock rescue?
Posted by: Andjam at May 8, 2004 at 10:18 AMAnd I thought you were such a nasty old bastard, Blair. Yet you like dogs.
It just goes to show: there is good in all of us.
I haven't cried in 10 years but that has made me lose control. To make matters worse, as the slides started my dog Arnie came and jumped on my lap, as tears rolled down my cheek. Very moving moment.
Posted by: Brutus Beefcake at May 8, 2004 at 01:08 PMI guess Toejam couldn't handle the 2 slides of Dubya. Being a blinded screecher must really suck. Prolly cuz of that gaping hole where others, including the awesome dogs in this slideshow, have courage.
Posted by: .com at May 8, 2004 at 01:09 PMAndjam is one of the good ones. Get a sense of humor before telling others that they are blinded screechers.
Posted by: Sortelli at May 8, 2004 at 01:12 PMWho can forget those doctors, nurses, medical personnel mobilized for the ambulances that did not come. On the late news that night they show doctors standing outside the hospital at 12th or 13th Street, waiting for the ambulances that do not come. I go soon after to the roof of my building (in Queens), & the nephew of the fireman who lives in my building is looking at the two beams of light where Towers had stood. The fireman had a medical day off, saw the scene from our roof as I & others did that morning, & went to join the rescue efforts. Now, past 11 pm, the nephew tells me that the fireman is worried about the whole rest of his unit.
Posted by: ForNow at May 8, 2004 at 01:15 PMSortelli - Wasn't apparent from the comment, now was it? No matter - apologies to you both. Side note: you could use a dose of said sense of humor, too, no?
Awesome slideshow, Thx for the link!
Posted by: .com at May 8, 2004 at 01:19 PMDid anyone else seem to have had some malicious software installed on their computer from this site? I seem to have picked up some spy ware from it. I could be wrong, it might have come from somewhere else but when I left that site my firewall picked up several programs trying to connect to the internet that look like spyware to me and are proving a pain in the ass to uninstall.
Posted by: Two in the Hat at May 8, 2004 at 01:27 PMRemember seeing some documentary on these type of dogs and their handlers in the Vietnam war. The soldier/handlers worked their dogs during patrols, searches etc. On many occasions the dogs would alert them of danger, saving their lives. At the end of the tour some moron decided the dogs would not go back to the US with their handlers but would be destroyed. Some of these soldiers were telling their story - wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Posted by: carlos at May 8, 2004 at 01:31 PMDoes anyone else remember the shipment of booties that someone (a person or a company) sent in for the search dogs? Their paws were damaged during the search and someone was thoughtful enough to send in little paw protectors...
Another thing that always makes me cry is seeing the specials on the Animal Planet channel about the animal rescue units that went into dusty and dangerous apartments to rescue pets and reunite them with their worried owners. It may seem like a "little thing" to rescue pets from Ground Zero, but believe me, it wasn't.
Posted by: kimberly at May 8, 2004 at 02:05 PM.com is probably a roadtosurfdom.com reader. It's the only other place I've been called Toejam.
Posted by: Andjam at May 8, 2004 at 02:29 PMThe image of the Friar in the hardhat blessing the rescue dog is where I started crying.
The New York ASPCA went door to door in those apartment buildings looking for animals.
I remember the little booties. People sent so many of them that they had to ask for them to stop.
Posted by: Donnah at May 8, 2004 at 02:35 PM.com: No, I'm a loner, a rebel. I'm a wildman. No one knows what I will do next. I drink milk past the expiration date even though I'm lactose intolerant. I have no time for humor.
Posted by: Sortelli at May 8, 2004 at 02:43 PMThanks a lot for linking to that site. The first few days after 9/11 were tough on everyone. You couldn't stand looking at the footage of the carnage, but you couldn't look away either.
I'm from the Boston area, where many of the suicide flights took off from. There were all kinds of crazy rumors about additional terrorist cells in the area that were going to target some local places. So, nerves were on edge watching the footage from NYC and dealing with local rumors.
One of the aspects of the search I focused on was the search dogs. There would be little snippets now and then about the dogs, their handlers, and the dogs needs. Somehow, seeing those dogs searching was comforting. Took some of the stress away as I watched stories about those dogs.
Vets came and set up doggie aid stations so the dogs could have their eyes and feet tended to, plus any other needs dogs may have had. At least one dog had worked so hard it had become exhausted and dehydrated. I recall seeing the footage of a vet administering an IV to the dog. The dog just lay on the table while the IV went to work.
I recall seeing their handlers get some people to hide so the dogs could find someone. They were very depressed when they couldn't find anyone.
"Does anyone else remember the shipment of booties that someone (a person or a company) sent in for the search dogs? Their paws were damaged during the search and someone was thoughtful enough to send in little paw protectors..."
I remember this very well, because I was trying to follow the stories of these dogs. Canada sent down a large shipment and these arrived first. The manufacturer(s) of the booties also sent a truck full.
Also, many of the search dog teams were from Canada. Thanks Canada! I believe, as time wore on, there were teams from other countries as well.
There were many stories told about rescue personnel and people waiting to hear about loved ones who were comforted by the dogs. Some non-rescue dogs were brought in just to walk among the people who were hurting.
Posted by: Chris Josephson at May 8, 2004 at 02:47 PMAs with most such tributes, many tears on my part. Also note their tribute to the "non-canines" at http://www.ctlegalguide.com/SlideShow/slideshow.htm
As with the first, it's a big download. But well worth it. If you are humane, have a hanky handy. If not, go back to DU.
One of the most compelling 911 tributes I've found is here (7 megs):
http://attacked911.tripod.com/
We will never forget.
Senor Two in the Hat,
A couple of weeks ago I downloaded the Opera browser. Spyware doesn't seem to work on it. Finally, I am happy.
Profound curses to Microsoft.
Did anyone else read the story of the dog being shot, and the ensuing coverup? THAT is truly disgusting.
Posted by: the markman at May 8, 2004 at 07:19 PMPeople who shoot dogs should not be tolerated. I am opposed to it.
You know that Franco Zeffirelli is campaigning to have both Koreas, North and South, expelled from the UN for the way they treat dogs.
Posted by: Harry Hutton at May 8, 2004 at 09:21 PMReading and linking to the stories of the dogs involved in search and rescue operations, I was reminded of the Light Horse Regiments (Australian) of WW1. For readers unfamiliar with wartime quarantine restrictions, Australia did not permit these horses to return from the Middle East. The records tell us that many of the men went out with their beloved mounts and a weapon to a quiet spot. They returned with just a saddle and a heavy heart.
Seeing the images of NY firefighters and police officers with the search and rescue canines, I can't help thinking of the symbiotic bonds that link other species to our own.
ON a lighter note,
If you ever have the opportunity, watch a sheep or cattle dog trial. Or watch the movie "Babe" to lift your spirits.
Re: booties Kimberley,
Several companies & a lot of the people in the dog fancy (show dog people, people who train & compete in things like agility and tracking) donated money for supplies and protective boots. I put a sum on my credit card with a local supplier, as did a lot of others, & dedicated dog people drove hours to deliver them. The search & rescue group had to ask people to stop donating, they got so much stuff.
I'm biased (as you can probably tell) but I think our 10,000 year relationship with dogs is one of the best things about us as humans. Dogs are so *not* like us in many ways, but we share the desire for close social relationships and an ability to be loyal and affectionate.
My dogs can do so many things that are totally beyond me ... my Whippets can overtake a rabbit which has a 100 foot running start, my spaniels can smell a bird hiding in brush at the same distance or follow a day-old track through grass and across tarmack.
Living with dogs and watching them closely, realizing how they're not like us, teaches humility LOL. But search and rescue skills don't just happen - they take an outstanding dog, an patient and knowledgeable trainer and great bonding and teamsmanship between the two. It's a tremendous achievement and the relationship between dog and handler is a big part of that.
After 9/11 a lot of people inquired about S&R training. Don't know how many followed through, but I hope a fair number did.
Posted by: rkb at May 8, 2004 at 09:59 PMAlso, Christ is right - a huge thank you once again to our Canadian friends who responded so selflessly that day.
Posted by: rkb at May 8, 2004 at 11:01 PMTim: you need to warn people who are turned into the Grinch by the sound of Whiney -- 'scuse me, Whitney -- Houston to shut off their speakers. That being done, it's a very touching display. Few things can melt a even few drops off my corundum heart; the plight of the rescue dogs is one.
Sortelli: the dog shooting referred to can be read about by clicking on the link to the side of the presentation. It's definitely a shameful story, one wonders what goes through peoples' minds sometimes. Then again, I have known people so afraid of dogs that they were unable to rationally handle the appearance of one; they reverted to some atavistic state of existence where badges of identification, chain-link fences between one and the hound, and the like, were not noticed.
To the cat-detractors: I doubt cats will ever be any use as rescuers because they are simply too small -- unless it becomes standard practice to capture and train the larger, non-domestic varieties. But our history with even so-called domestic cats is only a few thousand years long, while the relationship between man and dog goes back much longer. (Yes, even in the Middle East. Dogs have always been around there too. By the way, we are mistaken if we think that even our own ancestors always revered dogs as the near-human companions we do today; the treatment of dogs as babies-in-fur is a recent phenomenon and is only made possible by our unusual wealth and amount of leisure time.)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 9, 2004 at 04:30 AMThe next time an Islamist nutball calls me a dog, I'm gonna thank him.
Posted by: Rebecca at May 9, 2004 at 09:45 AM"To the cat-detractors: I doubt cats will ever be any use as rescuers because they are simply too small -- unless it becomes standard practice to capture and train the larger, non-domestic varieties."
I love cats, but they aren't helpmeets like dogs are. Dogs are pack animals and need to have an intense symbiotic emotional relationship with other beings, and if not members of their own pack, then humans. Cats are much more loners. "I am the cat who walked by himself and all places are alike to me." That Kipling story is the best on the differences between dogs and cats and how each relates to humans.
Posted by: Yehudit at May 9, 2004 at 09:52 AMSortelli: the dog shooting referred to can be read about by clicking on the link to the side of the presentation. It's definitely a shameful story, one wonders what goes through peoples' minds sometimes. Then again, I have known people so afraid of dogs that they were unable to rationally handle the appearance of one; they reverted to some atavistic state of existence where badges of identification, chain-link fences between one and the hound, and the like, were not noticed.
Thanks, I'm usually reading this stuff from work where I can't watch stuff like this for myself. (not that THAT has ever stopped me from commenting like a wild man who drinks bad milk)
Bad milk, Sortelli? And here I thought you were under the influence of cheap grain alchohol!
Posted by: The Real JeffS at May 9, 2004 at 12:54 PM"Cats are much more loners."
Tell my cat. For example, I can't sit here and blog without her jumping on my scanner (knocking it aside), using it to jump on my cpu case (which sits on the floor next to the box supporting the scanner), then jumping from there onto my desk and parading her whole self in front of the monitor screen -- or walking on the keyboard resulting in stuff like this --
wjhgsDOIpiurw;L
And then from there jumping over onto the table I assembled and covered with a green table cloth intending it to be my bedside table, but now it is her bed, so she can lie there and keep an eye on me.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 9, 2004 at 01:48 PM
Geez, Jeff, I'm not that wild. I'm wild and crazy in the sense that I ... erm ... just made goo-goo noises at how cute Andrea's cat story is.
Posted by: Sortelli at May 9, 2004 at 03:40 PMI viewed the tribute with Billy (rescue greyhound) and Goldie (elderly Brittany) by my side watching on. I don't think Goldie saw much, going blind, poor thing. Doesn't stop her from tearing around the place trying to flush game out of every bush or hedge she finds. Billy is like totally lazy, has his own sofa.
Just thought I'd share that. I love dogs.
Posted by: ilibcc at May 9, 2004 at 07:28 PMSortelli, I must admit I smiled when I read the posts of Andrea and ilibcc. So that bad milk isn't too bad.
Posted by: The Real JeffS at May 10, 2004 at 01:21 AMI must admit my cat can be distracted from me by the sight of a bird. She'll sit there making Hann*ibal Lechter noises. Then she will look over at me, clearly wondering why I'm sitting there on my lazy ass instead of going out and fetching her one of the scrumptious things. I am an inadequate human.
*MT-blacklist don't like part of this name. Damn that German spam.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 10, 2004 at 01:56 AM