A Tribute to the Dogs of 9/11

By Amy Fernandez

So, who remembers Balto? Maybe a few trivia experts can cite that statue over by the Central Park Zoo. Without reading the plaque, it’s doubtful that many recall his role in that legendary lifesaving mission that eventually morphed into the Iditarod. I bring this up because after a few thousand years of faithful service, we are sometimes inclined to take Man’s Best Friend for granted.

Now and then “Lassie rescues Timmy from the well” and it’s all over the news. Then it’s back to the same old routine. That’s why Balto got his statue in the park. Like his label says, “Loyalty, fidelity, intelligence.” It is inspiring. However, by all rights there should’ve been 150 of those statues. (Actually, that’s a great idea–dog statues all over the place).

Balto was one of many dogs responsible for hauling that serum 600 miles through subzero January weather. Normally a 25-day trek through brutally impassable terrain, their mission was completed in six days thanks to the combined efforts of 20 dog sled teams, ultimately saving 10,000 lives. Balto led that famous team on the final 50-mile relay, thus ensuring his place in history. However, many of those sled dogs lost their lives along the way.

Yes, I am finally getting to the point. The tragedy of 9/11 has rightfully become a national day of mourning. The lives lost there have been compounded by the many workers and first responders that sacrificed their health and, ultimately their lives, after the fact. Especially in the early days, Ground Zero was a treacherous place to be. The initial forays through the wreckage were primarily K9 Search and Rescue teams. Hundreds of them descended on NYC from all over the world. And like their human teammates, many of them suffered as a result of that hazardous job. My point is that Man’s Best Friend regularly proves his mettle. Like I said, I’m all for dog monuments.

And there is quite an impressive one commemorating those 350 Search and Rescue teams in West Orange, NJ. This four-foot bronze K9, perched on a hefty 12-inch granite base, is situated to keep watch on Ground Zero across the Hudson. The plaque acknowledges the many breeds that took part in the mission “from Dachshunds to Golden Retrievers”. The memorial was unveiled in 2002 and next time you visit NYC you might want to go take a look.

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Posted by admin on Oct 10 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.