On Sunday, February 9 at 2 pm, a member of the NYPD ESU K-9 Unit will give a talk and demonstration on the work of canines after the attacks at the World Trade Center. The talk is aimed at educating the general public about the role of dogs after a disaster and will be appropriate for families. The program will be a good way to introduce a dialogue with young people about 9/11 in a constructive manner.
The K-9 Unit Officer and his canine partner will demonstrate how the animals are trained. The Officer will give background on the role dogs played in searching for victims at the World Trade Center, and the extraordinary generosity of people from all over the country who brought their search and rescue dogs to help. In addition to dog owners, many veterinarians offered their services and the dogs at the recovery site were very well cared for.
According to author Nona Kilgore Bauer who wrote the book "Dog Heroes of September 11th," about 250-300 canine teams aided in the search for victims at the World Trade Center. Despite the intense heat from the fires burning under the mountains of twisted steel, no FEMA-certified dog was seriously injured while working at the site. The K-9 handlers she interviewed said that dogs were determined to do the job for which they were trained alongside their devoted owners.
Dog lovers, children and parents are welcome to attend this event.
Due to the nature of the K-9 Unit training, no family pets will be able to attend. Admission is free, but reservations are suggested at rsvp@tributewtc.org.
