Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America's Search and Rescue Dogs

by Nona Kilgore Bauer, Rudy Giuliani (Foreword by)

Overview

Dog Heroes of September 11th — A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs, now in its Tenth Anniversary second edition, is the first and only major publication to salute the canines that served our nation in the recovery missions following the terrorists’ strikes on America. In his foreword to this edition, former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani says, “No American could be unmoved by the stories and images of these dogs and their handlers….Their journeys, as told in these pages, reinforce our resolve to persevere, rebuild and keep our nation safe and strong.”

A testament to man’s best friend and his most critical role in American history, Dog Heroes of September 11th pays tribute to 79 canine heroes and their handlers, retelling their heart-stirring stories and photographically capturing many defining moments of the days that followed September 11, 2001.

This oversized gift book features over 400 color photographs, many never seen except in this publication. Nona Kilgore Bauer, who has won multiple awards for her books on dogs, interviewed each of the handlers who participated in the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, Shanksville, Penn., and the Fresh Kills landfill, the site to which remains from the fallen towers were transported, and lovingly retells their stories of heroism and bravery.

In its first edition (released in 2006), Dog Heroes of September 11th won numerous awards, including book of the year from the Dog Writers Association of America, Book-of-the-Month Club, and the Independent Book Publishers Association.

The second edition, expanded with over 100 new pages and over 150 new full-color photographs, presents chapters on military working dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan, the therapy dogs who worked at Ground Zero, the SDF’s new National Training Center, and post-9/11 rescue missions at home and abroad. A special section, written by selected 9/11 handlers, pays tributes to their canine partners who passed away after their recovery missions.

In addition to paying tribute to the dog-and-handler teams that were deployed after the attacks, this I-5 Press book supports the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in its mission to produce certified search and rescue teams to protect our whole nation. A portion of the proceeds of Dog Heroes of September 11th benefits the SDF.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621872382
Publisher:	Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/31/2023
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 10.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

A sixteen-time Dog Writers Association of America nominee (and frequent winner), Nona Kilgore Bauer has authored nearly two dozen books on canine subjects. She was the recipient of the Vern Bower Humanitarian Award from the Golden Retriever Club of America. A breeder and trainer of Golden Retrievers for the past thirty-five years, Nona has excelled with her dogs in field work, including hunt tests and field trials, as well as obedience trials. She completed her first Field Champion/Amateur Field Champion with her Labrador Retriever, Schatzie, in 2003. She lives with her Golden and Labrador Retrievers in La Belle, Missouri, and she has bred two dogs to work search and rescue for the SDF.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Tenth-Anniversary Edition 9

Foreword to the First Edition 10

Preface to the Tenth-Anniversary Edition 12

Preface to the First Edition 14

Acknowledgments 16

Introduction 18

Portraits in Courage 20

The World Trade Center 23

The Pentagon 125

The Fresh Kills Landfill 176

Shanksvilie, Pennsylvania 209

Animal-Assisted Crisis Response: Comfort during Crisis 214

Remembering the Rescuers 232

In Praise of Their Partners 234

Horse Creek: The Rescued Honor the Rescuers 278

A Teammate Tribute by Teresa MacPherson and Sonja Heritage 282

DOGNY: AKC's Salute to Search and Rescue Dogs by Daphna Straus 283

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation 290

SDF Today 295

An American First: The SDF National Training Center 297

SDF IronDog: Search Excellence Unleashed 298

Major: Growing Up in the SDF Family 301

The Publisher's Protégé Icon: Disaster Search Dog 301

Helping Paws in Haiti 308

ASPCA's Dog of the Year: SDF's Pearl 312

Understanding the Search and Rescue Canine 314

The Search Tool with a Tail: The Air-Scenting Dog 318

The FEMA-Certified Dog 321

K2 Canines: The IED Detection Solution 324

MWD…Military Working Dog 335

K2 Military Working Dogs 336

These Are the Dogs of War 338

Healing Our Canine Heroes 340

Health Care for MWDs: Holland Hospital 344

Finding One Another: Courage beyond Measure 346

Saluting Our Photographers 348

Glossary 349

Index 351

Editorial Reviews

"No American could be unmoved by the stories and images of these dogs and their handlers...Their journeys, as told in these pages, reinforce our resolve to persevere, rebuild and keep our nation safe and strong." - Rudolph Giuliani, from the Foreword to the Tenth-Anniversary Edition.

"If you deem yourself a dog lover, get ready to love them even more. A book full of courage, dedication, hope and faith - not just in mankind, but in mankind's best friend." - Denis Leary, actor; writer; comedian; co-owner of Daphne, Holly, Lulu and Gomer; and founder of the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

"This book will touch the soul; highly recomended..." - Library Journal

"In the ten years since 9/11, we have seen dogs and people sacrifice so much in the name of our freedom and safety. Reflecting on the heroism of America's search and rescue dogs and handlers then and now, Dog Heroes of September 11th is an extraordinary commemorative volume of a time America will nefver forget." - Dennis B. Sprung, president and CEO, American Kennel CLub

Dennis B. Sprung

After 9/11, Bauer completed an exhaustive compendium of the search and rescue dogs who labored at the disaster sites. The individual dogs are profiled, photographed, and their handlers are interviewed. These dogs worked at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, the Fresh Kills landfill, Shanksville, PA (the Flight 93 crash site), as well as in therapeutic capacities. Additionally, Bauer looks at the roles of military working dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the handlers generally do not consider the dogs heroes—they are merely doing their jobs—readers will quickly feel that the dogs themselves deserve special recognition for their work. It will be difficult to not get choked up and emotional over the images of the selfless animals with buoyant spirits who brought hope to people in the most trying times. While it is definitely repetitive (as one might imagine with a few dozen cursory biographies of Labrador Retrievers), the pictures of the dogs, as well as their stories, are an inspiration to all. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"No American could be unmoved by the stories and images of these dogs and their handlers...Their journeys, as told in these pages, reinforce our resolve to persevere, rebuild and keep our nation safe and strong." - Rudolph Giuliani, from the Foreword to the Tenth-Anniversary Edition.

"If you deem yourself a dog lover, get ready to love them even more. A book full of courage, dedication, hope and faith - not just in mankind, but in mankind's best friend." - Denis Leary, actor; writer; comedian; co-owner of Daphne, Holly, Lulu and Gomer; and founder of the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

"This book will touch the soul; highly recomended..." - Library Journal

"In the ten years since 9/11, we have seen dogs and people sacrifice so much in the name of our freedom and safety. Reflecting on the heroism of America's search and rescue dogs and handlers then and now, Dog Heroes of September 11th is an extraordinary commemorative volume of a time America will nefver forget." - Dennis B. Sprung, president and CEO, American Kennel CLub

From the Publisher