The Last Surviving 9/11 Rescue Dog Returns to New York

In September of 2001, Denise Corliss of Texas Task Force 1 and her trained search and rescue dog Bretagne answered the call to come to New York City and search the ruins of the World Trade Center, first for survivors, then for bodies. Bretagne later helped in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ivan, and retired at age nine. The golden retriever still volunteers for light duty at an elementary school.

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Fourteen years later, Bretagne is the last known living of the hundreds of service dogs who worked the site. BarkPost and 1 Hotels teamed up to bring Bretagne and Denise back to New York for the dog’s 16th birthday celebration! Other sponsors joined in to make the trip special. Bretagne rode around in a limousine, frolicked at the park, and enjoyed a birthday party with cake and gifts. That’s a good dog.