Like his master, certain dogs can save or take a life. Bloodhounds, foxhounds, staghounds, and other dogs hunted down runaway slaves, mauled, and sometimes killed them.
Dogs like his master can also be heroes in the preservation of life.
The ‘wonder dogs’ deployed to save lives in the aftermath of 911 were among some of these canine heroes.
Genelle Guzman-McMillian, the last person rescued at the World Trade Center in New York after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, thanked her hero.
McMillian, a Port Authority worker, worked on the 64th floor of the 110-story World Trade Center, Tower One.
A canine hero found McMillian, a black female, trapped in the Ground Zero wreckage.
Cement and steel enclosed and encased McMillian like a tomb or grave. Twenty-seven hours after the devastating attack, she was the last survivor pulled out of the rubble alive.
Another hero was Roselle, a yellow Labrador Retriever who guided his owner Michael Hingson, another World Trade Center employee, to safety. Michael Hingson was blind.
The four-legged heroes worked along the side of the first responders to save lives. And they were deserving of gratitude from wounded victims, their families, and the American people
Contrary to how dogs were used to capture runaway slaves, dogs can be trained to improve the quality of life for the disabled. And they can also be trained to save lives.
Over 350 search and rescue canines participated in the efforts to save lives at Ground Zero and the Pentagon. The dogs directed workers in finding those who otherwise may not have been discovered before succumbing to their injuries. The dogs’ agility and sense of smell were invaluable in locating injured and deceased victims.
These dogs’ mission was to find survivors. Unfortunately, cadaver dogs were also deployed to locate those who didn’t survive the attack.
“Working alongside their handlers, the four-legged heroes worked tireless climbing huge piles of debris while fires still smoldered. The search for signs of life or human remains was mentally and physically taxing on the dogs, as the search dogs began to get discouraged and lose their drive to search. Aware of the importance of morale in these dogs and to keep their motivation high, their handlers would stage a “mock find” so the dog could feel successful.” http://www.911memorial.org/connect/blog/remembering-four-legged-heroes-911-rescue-and-recovery
I read several articles about McMillian’s miraculous rescue, and she credits and praises God for saving her life. No doubt she is a walking miracle. And there is no doubt that heroic dogs played a big part in the 911 rescues.
Continue to be safe.