The animal kingdom has suffered a great loss.
The entire world has suffered a great loss, really.
Bretagne (pronounced Brittany), a 16-year old search and rescue dog, had to be put down this week.
She was the last search and rescue dog alive who helped search through the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Join us in honoring her memory below…
Near Ground Zero
Denise Corliss, an electrical engineer from Texas, and a then-two-year-old Bretagne were deployed to the area around the World Trade Center a week after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Long, Hard, Important Work
Bretagne was one of approximately 300 dogs working after 9/11. She and her handler worked 12-hour shifts together for 10 days .
End of the Heroic Line
On June 6, just a few months shy of her 17th birthday, Bretagne had to be put to sleep. Her owner said she could no longer climb stairs at home and was experiencing kidney failure.
A Hero Until the End
Up until her health failed, the caine was spending time at a a local elementary school as a dog that children could read to in order to practice their reading skills.
A Trip to Remember
In 2014, Bretagne made her first trip visit back to New York since the attacks, visiting One World Trade Center.
A Sweet 16
For her 16th birthday party, BarkPost threw Bretagne a party that brought her back to New York for festivities that included food, games and presents.
She Was Famous!
She got her face on a billboard in Times Square as part of the celebration.
Time to Say Goodbye
“She was really anxious last night and she just wanted to be with me,” Corliss told Today on Monday about how she knew the end was near. “So I laid down with her, right next to her. When she could feel me, she could settle down and go to sleep. I slept with her like that all night.”
A Sad Farewell
Corliss and her husband therefore brought Bretagne to Fairfield Animal Hospital in Cypress, Texas. Once there, the heroic dog received a special send-off from admirers for her years of service. (Yes, we are crying.)
A Special Salute
“This was a very small way for us to pay tribute to a dog who truly has been a hero,” Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department Captain David Padovan said. “Just because she’s a K9 doesn’t make her any less part of our department than any other member.”
Rest in Peace, Bretagne
May you sleep comfortable forever in that great big dog bed in the sky, chasing tennis balls and gnawing on bones forever and ever.