Dog Heroes: A Look At Heroic Canines Over The Years (PHOTOS)

Many heroes emerged in the aftermath of September 11th, including dogs.

Estimates suggest that hundreds of trained dogs and their handlers worked at 9/11 sites on search and rescue operations.

According to a USA Today special by Sharon L. Peters, "No matter the calamity, natural or man-made, no matter the location, these animals that just hours earlier were, for the most part, romping in the yard with their families or chasing squirrels in the fields arrive on site in full-work mode and don't rest until ordered by their handlers to do so."

Reuters reports on one dog named Red, now 12 years old, who searched through rubble at the Pentagon in 12 hour shifts, spending weeks recovering bodies.

While some oppose the use of animals for human purposes, particularly in warfare, most appreciate the heroism of these canines.

Below are photos of heroic canines over the years, from 9/11 searches to water lifeguarding to earthquake rescues. Take a moment to appreciate the four-legged heroes of the world. To learn about adopting a dog who needs a home, visit Petfinder.com.

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Comments

[LalaSmiles]

12:23 AM on 09/20/2011

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made, and man should never forget that!

[Susan Marlowe CPA]

12:49 AM on 09/19/2011

Slide #1. I dare you not to smile at that picture. Newfies, yes?

[locke9949]

05:39 PM on 09/13/2011

These dogs should not leave our country the flying is stressfull along with what their subjected too,blood,chemicals,raidation just to name a few. You can see it in there eyes,the poor things have no protection from anything and as usual we still abuse them so we can call them a hero when there dying from this search and rescue thing...Dont we have something like a sonar that can detect bodys??

[Debbie338]

03:55 PM on 09/12/2011

Great article. Thank you. I'm very appreciative that HP takes many opportunities to support our canine companions in life.

[Parkite]

02:45 PM on 09/12/2011

These and really all search & rescue dog are truly God's gift to humanity. If only humans deserved them. While these are trained specifically, there is story after story of dogs saving humans in all kinds of situations. How many stray dogs adopted by our men & women in Afghanistan & Iraq have saved countless personnel?! Now they are saving the lives of returning wounded, those that have PTSD, etc.

[amantedelibros]

08:57 AM on 09/12/2011

Here's a beautiful video of a dog welcoming home its mom, fresh from the war in Afghanistan. Sometimes the dog heros are the ones who stay at home and simply love us :)

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/09/12/dog-cries-when-mom-comes-home.aspx?e_cid=20110912_DNL_art_2

[RitaS]

01:39 AM on 09/12/2011

Our Politicians could REALLY learn something about duty & self-sacrifice from these service animals.

These service animals will provide their all, including their lives, for Humans... Too bad so many of our Politicians haven't the same courage.

[goserenee1]

12:49 AM on 09/12/2011

Thank God for all the people and their wonderful canine companions who do this tiring and sometimes not very rewarding work. It has to be extremely hard on them all when they are unable to find survivors,I can only imagine how draining and dangerous it is for both dog and human handler alike. not to mention all the harmful substances that the dog comes into contact with that can cause it to have severe health problems and shorten their already short life spans. My heart goes out to them all and makes my own dog all the more precious for what she has done for me.

[Ron Burns]

12:04 AM on 09/12/2011

We are doing a tribute website to the Dogs of 9/11 that I painted - remarkable dogs, remarkable stories..... www.RonBurns.com

[goserenee1]

01:00 AM on 09/12/2011

I went to your site and read about Sirius the dog killed on 9-11 it touched my heart and I wanted to let you know that I have a great deal of respect for the work you are doing. F&F!

[amantedelibros]

09:02 AM on 09/12/2011

Beautiful work and beautiful tribute! Thanks for doing something to honor these heroes who go wherever they're needed, whether or not they're in danger themselves. Fan #2 and Faved :)

[Contact1972]

11:36 PM on 09/11/2011

The world would be amazing if dogs ran it :-)

[amantedelibros]

11:12 PM on 09/11/2011

God bless all these dog heros and all animals. I just love dogs and their noble spirits.

[Contact1972]

11:33 PM on 09/11/2011

YES X 10000000

[Bor Zoi]

10:08 PM on 09/11/2011

Don't forget Russian Wolfhounds who kept people and livestock safe by keeping wolves away.

[Contact1972]

11:33 PM on 09/11/2011

Cute doggy

[DrBill0620]

09:49 PM on 09/11/2011

Don't want to be a cynic - but some days, I like dogs better than a lot of people...

[missmcgillicuddy]

10:14 PM on 09/11/2011

That would be every day for me... :)

[amantedelibros]

11:12 PM on 09/11/2011

Ditto

[Mista-J]

09:15 PM on 09/11/2011

I love these search and rescue dogs, and I appreciate their contribution to our safety and well being. Yet, at the same time I am disturbed by the increasing use of dogs for policing purposes at places like subways and airports. It just creates an almost nazi-like atmosphere of oppression. Let's use our canine friends to protect people, not intimidate them.

[Chad Wheeler]

01:51 PM on 09/14/2011

I don't like the idea of police dogs just because so many of them die in accidents or being shot or stabbed by perpetrators but at the same time, using dogs to prevent things from happening is very effective, this is why one or two dogs can be used to hold back a line of protestors. No one wants to be the first one to get bit.

[maxout22]

08:52 PM on 09/11/2011

Dogs make our world a better place that's for sure.