On the 78th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, Michael Hingson was at work with his guide dog, Roselle, when the first plane struck above them.

Hingson, who is blind, headed for the stairs with the Labrador. Around them, people crowded into the stairwell. As they descended, the heat increased, but Roselle remained calm and continued guiding him.

By the time they reached the lobby, she was panting and needed water. She drank from puddles before leading Hingson outside. They were still nearby when the South Tower collapsed and took shelter in a subway entrance. 

While Roselle helped Hingson escape, other dogs were arriving with rescuers. In the hours and days after 11 September 2001, they would climb into the wreckage and begin searching.

Into the rubble

Among the first dog teams at Ground Zero were NYPD German shepherd Appollo and officer Peter Davis. They worked long shifts, picking their way through debris surrounded by dust and fumes.

During one search, Appollo fell into a gap in the rubble. Flames followed him out. Water that had soaked his coat shortly beforehand helped him escape serious burns.

Afterwards, Appollo and Davis returned to the search. In March 2002, he received the PDSA Dickin Medal on behalf of the search-and-rescue dogs who served after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. 

A young dog’s first deployment

Bretagne was only two when she arrived with Denise Corliss and Texas Task Force 1. The golden retriever had recently qualified as a disaster search dog.

Corliss had brought her home at eight weeks old. By about a year, they had begun formal training with the task force. Now Bretagne was being directed into the confusion and wreckage of the World Trade Center.

She searched where Corliss sent her. Firefighters also held her close and stroked her fur, moments a teammate later recalled in a tribute to the dog. 

Keeping the dogs going

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum estimates that more than 300 dogs took part in search, rescue and recovery at Ground Zero.

Dogs trained to detect living human scent searched for people buried beneath the debris. As the chances of finding survivors diminished, dogs trained to locate human remains helped with the recovery work.

They moved over piles of wreckage where fires still smouldered. Between searches, veterinarians cleaned their paw pads, eyes and noses. 

For some search dogs, repeated searches without finding a survivor began to affect their motivation. Their handlers arranged practice finds, hiding a person for the dog to locate so it could complete a successful search.

Therapy dogs were there too. Rescuers could spend a few minutes with them before returning to the work, a brief respite from the destruction surrounding them. 

Twenty-five years later, Hingson’s own recollection brings the story back to the staircase. He remembered the trust he shared with Roselle and the teamwork of the people descending alongside them, all trying to get out safely. 

The Bottom Line

Roselle reached the street with Hingson. Appollo returned to the rubble with Davis. Bretagne searched with Corliss and stood close enough for firefighters to hold her. Those are the moments worth remembering, 25 years on.