“Get ready to love [dogs] even more. A book full of courage, dedication, hope and faith—not just in mankind, but in mankind’s best friend.” —Denis Leary 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. A testament to man’s best friend and his most critical role in American history, this special book pays tribute to seventy-nine canine heroes and their handlers, retelling their heart-stirring stories, and photographically capturing many defining moments of the days that followed September 11, 2001. Award-winning author Nona Kilgore Bauer 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, and lovingly retells their stories of heroism and bravery. Recently updated and expanded with over one hundred new pages and more than one hundred fifty new full-color photographs, this book also includes 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. This book supports the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in its mission to produce certified search and rescue teams to protect our whole nation, and a portion of the proceeds of Dog Heroes of September 11th benefit the SDF. “This book will touch the soul; highly recommended.” —Library Journal

"Search dog handlers from across the United States have come together to preserve the memories of their canine partners over the course of the last fifty years and thousands of search missions."--Back cover.

DOGNY was born out of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, a public art exhibit and fundraiser that brought together world famous artists to paint life-sized sculptures of German Shepherd Dogs that were on display in New York City and were auctioned at Sotheby's in Manhattan.--P. [2] of jacket.

A beautiful photo book showcasing more than 50 heroic dogs "in uniform" and their stories, from photographer Liz Stavrinides and author John Schlimm. Extraordinary Dogs portrays more than fifty working dogs, along with the police officers, firefighters, veterans, and other trained volunteer handlers who serve side-by-side with them. Their moving stories and beautiful photographs are an unprecedented glimpse at Comfort Dogs and Search and Rescue Dogs, along with bomb-detecting TSA dogs and canine ambassadors from across the United States. * The stories of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs take readers behind the scenes of their headlining deployments—such as the Boston Marathon bombing, Superstorm Sandy, and the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. * Search and Rescue K-9 teams reveal what it’s really like to travel into the eye of natural disasters, accidents, crime scenes, and the worst terrorist strike in recorded history. * At Washington Dulles International Airport, readers meet several of the Department of Homeland Security’s TSA dogs whose sole job it is to keep the flying public safe from explosives and other dangers. Extraordinary Dogs is both a portrait of what love, hope, courage, and heroism look like in their purest forms and a tribute to the eternal and impactful bonds we forge with our furry friends.

A “haunting meditation on trust, hope and love” by a woman who adopts and trains a Golden Retriever puppy to become a search-and-rescue dog (People). In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, Susannah Charleson’s attention was caught by a newspaper photograph of a canine handler, his exhausted face buried in the fur of his search-and-rescue dog. Susannah, a dog lover and pilot with search experience herself, was so moved by the image that she decided to volunteer with a local canine team, plunging herself into an astonishing new world. While the team worked long hours for nonexistent pay and often heart-wrenching results, Charleson discovered the joy of working in partnership with a canine friend and the satisfaction of using their combined skills to help her fellow human beings. Once she qualified to train a dog of her own, Charleson adopted Puzzle—a smart, spirited Golden Retriever puppy who exhibited unique aptitudes as a working dog, but was a bit less interested in the role of compliant house pet. Scent of the Missing is the story of Charleson’s adventures with Puzzle as they search for a lost teen; an Alzheimer’s patient wandering in the cold; and signs of the crew amid the debris of the space shuttle Columbia disaster—all while unraveling the mystery of the bond between humans and dogs. “A riveting view of both the human animal bond and the training of search and rescue dogs. All dog lovers and people interested in training service dogs should read this book.” —Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human

Lola was a buckshot-riddled stray, lost on a Memphis highway. Cody was rejected from seven different homes. Ace had been sprayed with mace and left for dead on a train track. They were deemed unadoptable. Untrainable. Unsalvageable. These would become the same dogs America relied on when its worst disasters hit. In 1995, Wilma Melville volunteered as a canine search-and-rescue (SAR) handler with her Black Labrador Murphy in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. At the time, there were only fifteen FEMA certified SAR dogs in the United States. Believing in the value of these remarkable animals to help save lives, Wilma knew many more were needed in the event of future major disasters. She made a vow to help 168 dogs receive search-and-rescue training in her lifetime—one for every Oklahoma City victim. Wilma singlehandedly established the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) to meet this challenge. The first canine candidates—Ana, Dusty, and Harley—were a trio of golden retrievers with behavioral problems so severe the dogs were considered irredeemable and unadoptable. But with patience, discipline, and love applied during training, they proved to have the ability, agility, and stamina to graduate as SARs. Paired with a trio of firefighters, they were among the first responders searching the ruins of the World Trade Center following 9/11—setting the standard for the more than 168 of the SDF’s search-and-rescue dogs that followed. Beautiful and heart-wrenching, Hero Dogs is the story of one woman’s dream brought to fruition by dedicated volunteers and firefighters—and the bonds they forged with the incredible rescued-turned-rescuer dogs to create one of America’s most vital resources in disaster response.

Looks at the problem of dog overpopulation in America; discusses the role of puppy mills, pet stores, and independent breeders; and includes a profile of a local animal shelter.

Looks at how dogs are chosen to perform search and rescue tasks, the training they go through, and the type of work they do.

Describes the history, selection, training, and accomplishments of different dogs used in search and rescue operations.