Denise Corliss, an electrical engineer from Texas, and then 2-year-old Bretagne, worked 12-hour shifts together at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. They joined search and rescue teamTexas Task Force 1 only a year earlier.
Denise Corliss / Via Facebook: dnrwdogs
Corliss selected Bretagne for training when she was only an 8-month-old puppy.
Denise Corliss / Via Facebook: dnrwdogs
“The disaster dogs essentially looking for people — survivors — in a disaster environment,” Corliss told BuzzFeed. “The dogs have to be to climb over rubble and collapsed buildings and climb ladders.”
Denise Corliss / Via Facebook: dnrwdogs
Thirteen years later, Bretagne is no longer in the business of rushing into disasters. Instead, she works at a local elementary school as a dog children can read aloud to and practice their reading skills.
Denise Corliss / Via Facebook: dnrwdogs
Thursday marked the first time since 2001 that Bretagne had come back to the scene of the World Trade Center buildings.
The 15-year-old former disaster dog even made a stop at NBC’s “Today” Show for an interview about what life has been like since her work at Ground Zero.
Also, recently, The Penn Vet Working Center honored Bretagne by naming a service dog in training after her: Bretagne 2.
Denise Corliss
“I was very honored that they were naming a puppy after Bretagne,” Corliss said. “A female golden retriever, so they said naturally, my Bretagne came to mind.”
Bretagne was also entered in the Hero Dog Awards, which is an award ceremony for service dogs run by the American Humane Association. Bretagne as of Thursday afternoon is in third place.
The winning dog will be award $5,000 at the award ceremony in Beverly Hills at the end of September.
Denise Corliss / Via Facebook: dnrwdogs
via buzzfeed.com
