Bretage the golden retriever is the last living rescue dog who helped discover human bodies in the aftermath of the 9/11 Ground Zero terror attacks.
She recently turned 15-years-old and returned to Ground Zero with her owner for the first time since her heroic rescues.
Bretage and her owner arrived in New York a week after the attacks as part of a relief group in order to give first responders a break from their duty.
She was trained to sniff out human scents and worked 12 hour days during the rescue.
When she wasn’t sniffing through the rubble, Bretage, and several other rescue dogs, were used as therapy dogs that help bring smiles to the faces of firefighters and other rescue workers on the scene. For some, it was their first smiles in weeks.
Even after 9/11 Bretgane continued her helping ways, and was a rescue worker after Hurricane Katrina. Now she’s retired, but still travels to Texas elementary school and works part-time with children with special needs.
Bretgane has been nominated for the American Humane Association’s Top Hero Dog award.
