Last Surviving Rescue Dog Of 9/11 Laid To Rest Given A Hero Farewell By Firefighters

Admin 08-Jun-2016 16:08:18 Inothernews

Draped in the national flag and laid to rest with a salute befitting a hero, America's last surviving 9/11 rescue dog bid farewell to the world. The 16-year-old Bretagne (pronounced 'Brittany') was walked inside the Fairfield Animal Hospital in Texas by her owner Denise Corliss to be put to sleep. The decision to euthanise Bretagne was a difficult one, but old age had slowed the Golden Retriever's pace considerably. The World Trade Center attacks Freshly graduated from Disaster City - the world's largest search and rescue training center in Texas - both Bretagne and Denise were deployed to New York when the terror attacks rocked the Twin Towers. They worked 12 hours a day for a fortnight at Ground Zero, searching for survivors in the debris of the world's worst terror attack. Bretagne worked hard but failed to find even a single breathing soul. However, Bretagne did something else. She became a listener; a comforter to the several firefighters and rescuers who were working hard to find lost ones. They'd pet Bretagne and share stories of the missing with Denise. "Dogs can be so comforting, so it makes sense to me now," she says. "I just didn't anticipate that, then," said Denise as reported by CNN.



Hurricanes and more

A certified FEMA disaster search dog, Bretagne also lent her service to other disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. At one time, the dog stopped at the edge of a dangling staircase but call it instinct or good sense, the Retriever turned around and walked back to safety.

"Pushy" Bretagne

And that's how Denise had her for life. Bretagne didn't back down when she squeezed her way out of a kennel she shared with 8 other puppies - only to greet Denise. Bretagne was "persistent" and that's what made her such a successful rescue dog.

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Mentor to kids

Bretagne left Texas Task Force 1 in 2009 and joined the local fire department. She retired a few years later but continued to lend her services. Denise said that Bretagne visited elementary schools to comfort kids with autism who were "intimidated or uncomfortable reading out loud to their classmates, have an opportunity to develop reading skills by reading to her."

Dedication to the dedicated

Bretagne has a cobblestone dedicated in her name by the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. "I've had several canine partners. But Bretagne is that one dog for me," said Denise in the Bark Box video.

Rest in peace, Bretagne.

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