Bretagne (1999-2016), The Oldest Surviving 9/11 Rescue Dog and Member of Texas Task Force 1

Bretagne, the beautiful golden retriever who was the last surviving 9/11 rescue dog and member of Texas Task Force 1, was given a hero’s salute as she made her final public appearance. She was nearly 17 years old.

Sixteen-year-old Bretagne (pronounced Brit-nee), the last known FEMA Search & Rescue Canine who served at Ground Zero, has died peacefully at her home in Cypress, Texas. She was a remarkable animal who deployed with her handler Denise Corliss and other members of Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) to the site of the World Trade Center for 10 days in 2001. A Golden Retriever, Bretagne was 2 years old and newly certified as a FEMA Search and Rescue canine when she deployed with the Texas urban search and rescue team to the worst terrorism incident in U.S. history. …She has always taken her job as a search dog seriously, but herself not so much. Always ready for a belly rub, or a treat. In remembering her first deployment at the World Trade Center, there are images of her going to where she was directed to search, the unknown, the chaotic environment. But even then, she knew who needed the comfort of a dog, which firefighter needed to hold her close and stroke her fur.

Rest in Peace Bretagne. And thank you.