Man Swims with Arthritic Dog, Hopes to Ease the Animal’s Pain

Not very long ago, John Unger found that Schoep, the four-legged companion which stood by him over the past 19 years, is suffering from arthritis. Given the dog’s old age, doctors said little could be done except put it to sleep to keep it from experiencing any further pain.

However, owner John Unger decided to try something new: water therapy. Thus, both he and his dog now spend anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes floating in the waters of Lake Superior on a regular basis, something which helps ease the pressure of Schoep’s now fragile body.

One or Urger’s friends, Hannah Stonehouse, took a picture of the two floating together, and now Internet users worldwide are expressing their admiration for Urgen and send Schoep heartfelt encouragements.

“I would read about five of them and lose it for a good ten minutes and then come back to it. To see that this photo has lifted their spirits … that right there lifts mine even higher,” commented Urger on the messages he received from countless people.

Many people have donated funds to help get Scheop medical treatments and John Unger is setting up a fund to help other dogs as well.

Related:

A Dog Owner’s Overview for Grade 3 Dog Arthritis

Fatty Acids May Improve Mobility In Osteoarthritic Dogs

Dog Massage? Isn’t Petting Enough?

POEM – SENIOR DOG WANTING A FOREVER HOME

Old Dogs, Old Friends: Enjoying Your Older Dog

Adopt a Senior Pet…

November Is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month

Adopting A Senior Pet Has Many Advantage For Families and Seniors

Natural Pet Remedies For Everyday Problems

Technorati Tags: arthritic dog,for the love of a pet,Man’s Best Friend,Jomp,Just One More Pet,dogs,loyalty,loyalty goes two ways,best friends,dogs are family,pets are family,arthritis in dogs,water therapy

Is your pet prepared for disaster?

Survival Life:

When it comes to preparing for a disaster you need to make sure that you prepare not only for yourself and your family, but also for your pets. A 2012 study from the Humane Society shows that 33% of all US households own at least one cat. It also shows that 39% own at least one dog. To some people a pet may just be an animal but to many, Fido and Fluffy are extensions of the family. With this being the case it is fairly surprising to me how few preppers remember to pack an emergency kit for their pets.

I have heard too often that pets will be able to “make their own way” and that it is their natural instinct to survive. The truth of the matter is, most house trained cats and dogs don’t make it very far on their own. The average life span of a stray animal is cut nearly in half compared to that of a house kept pet. With that being said I urge any of you with pets to make sure that you consider them when making your preparations.

If you believe bringing your pet with you during an evacuation is not an option, there are other solutions for you.

• Contact your veterinarian and ask for a list of their preferred boarding facilities.
• Ask your local animal shelter if they provide emergency shelter for pets.
• Ask trusted sources outside your immediate area if they would be willing to take in your pet.

Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits
If you do plan on taking your pet with you, it is very important to create a Pet Evacuation Kit or PEK handy for your pets. This kit is not unlike your own Bug Out Bag and will contain all of the same basic ingredients. Keep this PEK with your personal go bags and make sure that everyone in the family knows where they are. This kit should be clearly marked and easy to carry. Items to consider keeping in or near your pack include:

• Pet first-aid kit and guide book (ask your vet what to include, or purchase one online)
• 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (make sure that you follow the first in first out rule with pet food as well as human food)
• Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans work well, are inexpensive and usually come with lids to keep the smell down)
• Litter
• Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
• Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
• Pet feeding dishes
• Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
• Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires. Medications should also be rotated out the same as food to avoid having ineffective or bad medication when your pet needs it
• Bottled water, at least 3 days’ worth for each person and pet
• A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet (folding crates and carriers work well and they will stow away in a tight area when not in use)
• Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
• Recent photos of your pets (in case you need to make “Lost” posters)

Choosing a “Designated Caregiver”
This step will take considerable time and thought. When choosing a temporary caregiver, consider someone who lives close to your residence but still far enough away that they would be outside of any immediate danger zone. This should be someone who you have a great amount of trust in and it should be a reciprocal relationship.

Be sure to discuss your expectations at length with a permanent caregiver, so he or she understands the responsibility of caring for your pet. They will need to have met your pet and you need to make sure that your pet is comfortable around them. If you are willing and able to rely on them they should be able to do the same for you if the situation is reversed.

Step 5 Evacuation Preparation
If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. Never assume that you will return in a few hours. If you think you may be gone for only a day, prepare for the possibility that you may not be able to return for several weeks.

When recommendations for evacuation have been announced or a mandatory evacuation order has been declared, follow the instructions of local and state officials. Below are a few simple steps that will help to minimize your evacuation time.

• Store an emergency kit and leashes as close to an exit as possible.
• Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. Your pet’s ID tag should contain his or her name, your telephone number, and any urgent medical needs.
• The ASPCA recommends microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification. A microchip is implanted in the animal’s shoulder area, and can be read by scanner at most animal shelters and will contain all of your contact information.
• Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster. Pets can become disoriented or frightened and wander away from home during a crisis.
• Consider your evacuation route and call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of an impending disaster.

Geographic and Climatic Considerations
Do you live in an area that is prone to certain natural catastrophes, such as tornadoes, earthquakes or floods? If so, be sure to create your evacuation plan accordingly.

• Determine well in advance which rooms offer safe havens in your home. These rooms should be clear of hazards such as windows, flying debris, etc.
• Easy-to-clean areas such as utility rooms, bathrooms, and basements typically work exceptionally well as safe zones.
• A supply of fresh water is particularly important. In areas that may lose electricity, fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure that you have access to water during the first stage of any crisis
• In the event of flooding, go to the highest location in your home, but make sure that you still have some sort of an escape route from that room.

If emergency officials recommend that you stay in your home, it’s crucial that you keep your pets with you. Keep your PEK pack and other supplies close at hand. Your pets may become stressed and anxious during the in-house confinement, if so you should consider crating them for both your and their safety and comfort.

FEMA: Include Pets in Your Preparedness Plan

Make sure the pets are safe during storms

Hurricane Season’s Here: Six Steps to A Rescue Plan that Includes Pets

N.J. pets welcome at hurricane evacuation shelters

Technorati Tags: disaster preparedness for pets,emergency kits for pets,traveling kits for pets,bug out bags for pets,emergency preparedness for pets,pets are family,animals are family,dogs a family,preparedness,pet evacuation kits,Jomp,Just One More Pet

Dog, truly a gift!

‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’

My Furkids Have Not Left My Side Since I Was Diagnosed

Just Home From the Hospital

Christmas Morning

On the First Day God Created the Dog!

When God Made Cats

GoD and DoG

Dogs and Heaven

Rainbow Bridge

Valentine’s Day Do’s and Don’ts for Pet Lovers with Videos and Photos

I care not for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.” -Abraham Lincoln

Please join the fight to stop animal cruelty and senseless euthanization…

and help to toughen the sentences for all those who abuse animals… dogs!

Homeless With Pets… Choosing Pets Over Shelter  –>  Where there is a will…

And Help people in need feed and keep their pets~

‘Republican’ Deer Repeatedly Destroys Texas Couple’s Front Yard Obama Sign

The Blaze:

Tom Priem, a software support engineer, and his wife, Beth, were sick and tired of constantly finding the Obama sign in front of their Austin, Texas home destroyed. They were certain it was a mischievous Republican who didn’t like President Obama. In fact, Tom even called a city hotline to report the incident in case it turned out to be a dangerous offender.

“The sign had holes poked in it like somebody had stuck a knife through it,” Tom Priem told Fox News on Friday. “At first I thought it was somebody who didn’t like Obama.”

So imagine the Texas couple’s surprise when they discovered the anti-Obama, sign destroyer was a buck. That’s right, as in the animal. Beth Priem was able to snap the following photo just moments after the sign was trashed on Wednesday (notice the crumpled Obama sign on the bottom right):

(Courtesy: Tom and Beth Priem/Fox News)

Thus concludes the deer’s nearly 10 day rampage against the Obama sign. What is still a mystery is why the animal seems to hate the Priems’ sign particularly, as other people on the street had signs up that went untouched.

“People across the street have signs and their signs have not been attacked… It’s just a weird thing. Maybe they don’t like something in the front yard where they graze,” Tom Priem speculated.

“It’s just a weird thing,” he added. “We were making fun of it, saying the deer must be a Republican.”

Video: Deer doesn‘t dig this dude’s display

His wife was able to catch the deer in the act, and on camera, on Wednesday thanks to the couple’s Yorkshire terrier, Charlie, who alerted her of the commotion outside, according to Fox News.

“Charlie chased him until the deer jumped the fence and got away,” she said, adding that she was “glad it wasn’t a human, either a silly kid or a strange adult.”

Hoping to keep the anti-Obama buck away from their sign, Tom and Beth have moved it closer to the house.

*Sounds like a Republican deer to me who just wants to stay on the right side of the street!

Technorati Tags: deer,animals and politics,Texas,animal behavior,wild animals,Just One More Pet,JOMP,unusual stories,Austin Texas

Pet Jerky Death Toll Update: 360 dogs, 1 Cat According to FDA

You may recall that at the end of 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned dog owners that they should be aware of a "potential association between development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats."

At the time the warning was issued, reports had come in citing that at least 95 dogs had become ill, possibly due to consumption of chicken jerky. However, after multiple tests the FDA was unable to identify any cause for the illnesses, so it is not surprising that (1) people kept feeding their dog’s chicken jerky and (2) more dogs got sick.

Three of pups who died…

 

Then, in November of 2011, the FDA issued yet another warning stating that there was a potential connection between dogs that were falling ill and chicken jerky that was being imported from China. (I reported on this back in December.) Common symptoms included:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea – with or without blood
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Kidney failure (increased thirst and urination are typical)

Some dogs that have ingested chicken jerky and develop these symptoms have recovered. Others have not been so lucky. To date, more than 2,200 dogs have become ill. According to NBCNews.com, at least 360 dogs and one cat have reportedly died in the U.S. after eating chicken jerky pet treats made in China.

The FDA is still stumped as to the cause, but back in March, msnbc.com reported:

"A log of complaints collected from pet owners and veterinarians contains references to at least three popular brands of jerky treats that may be associated with kidney failure and other serious ailments, according to internal Food and Drug Administration documents obtained by msnbc.com."
Of 22 "Priority 1" cases listed by the FDA late last year, 13 cited Waggin’ Train or Canyon Creek Ranch jerky treats or tenders, both produced by Nestle Purina PetCare Co., the records show. Another three listed Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, produced by the Del Monte Corp. The rest listed single brands or no brand.

Priority 1 cases are those in which the animal is aged 11 or younger and medical records that document illness are available, an FDA spokeswoman said. In many cases, samples of the suspect treats also are collected

The FDA is encouraging anyone who has a sick dog that has eaten chicken jerky to lodge a complaint and send in a sample of the product the dog ingested. The more complaints and samples they receive the better their chances are of making the connection and preventing future illnesses and deaths.

Pet owners are rightly up in arms about the situation. Multiple petitions have been started to demand a ban, recall, and warning labels on chicken jerky treats imported from China. Concerned lawmakers are also getting involved and encouraging the FDA to release the results of 153 tests on chicken jerky treats that are still pending. Hopefully the increased pressure will lead to a resolution of this situation in the not too distant future.
In the meantime, the FDA released a statement on September 14, 2012 which was a summary of the pet death reports. It linked the jerky treat-related deaths of the past 18 months and suggested owners avoid the products completely, saying they were unnecessary for a balanced diet. The FDA will also begin testing treats to find out whether irradiation of the products may be a contributing factor to illness and death.

—Dr. Jennifer Coates

Chicken Jerky Update originally appeared on petMD.com  – Cross Posted by Paw Nation

Homemade Chicken Jerky Recipe for Dogs (Pets)

Yummy super-simple treat… and it’s also super-popular with dogs and healthy. Chicken Jerky is a Treat made from thin strips of chicken slow baked to almost the point of crispness.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts (I baked three pounds!)

Start by preheating your oven to 170 or 180 degrees, depending on how low your oven will go. While that’s preheating, assemble the chicken. I used frozen chicken breast tenderloins (this is a great way to use any chicken you’ve got that’s become freezer burned!)

I had thawed the frozen chicken breasts by putting them in the refrigerator overnight…and woke up to find they were still frozen! I put the chicken in a big bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes which thawed it enough to slice with a sharp knife. TIP: It’s easier to slice the chicken when it’s semi-frozen rather than completely thawed; you can use the heel of your hand on the knife to “chop” the slices rather than trying to saw through thawed meat.

The only difficult part of this dog treat recipe is the slicing; you’ll want to slice the chicken no more than about 1/4 inch wide. Slice with the grain of the chicken, rather than against it; this will make the treats a little chewier and make them last a LITTLE bit longer when you give them to your dogs.

Slice up the chicken and place it on a greased cookie sheet; be sure to use one with a slight edge because there will be water and juices from the chicken during the first hour of cooking. Leave about a 1/2 inch or so between slices and just make sure they’re not touching.

Once you’re finished slicing, pop the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for two hours. After two hours, check the slices and see if they’re dry. You don’t want them to be crispy to the point of snapping but you do want them to be very chewy. (They should look like a very done french fry.) Because I baked three pounds of chicken at once, I had to bake my treats for an 90 minutes and I flipped the slices with a spatula after two hours of baking.

When they’re done, remove the treats from the oven and cool on a drying rack. If you don’t have one (I don’t), just flip a dish drainer over and drape with a dish towel then put your treats on the towel to dry. (You just want to get the treats up off the metal cookie sheets so they’ll cool crispier. A wicker basket flipped over and draped with a cup towel work work great, too.)

When the treats are completely cool, bag them in zippered bags or pop them in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can also freeze the treats for several months. Be warned, though: these are VERY popular treats…they’ll go fast! (Cats also love them!)

Related:

A Raw Food KIBBLE?

When Raw Food is NOT the Right Food for Your Pet

Surprise, Surprise… the Best Food for Dogs Is Homemade Food

Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes

The Importance of Bones in Your Pet’s Diet

The Nutrient Your Pet Needs More of As They Age: Protein

Pancreatitis in Dogs

Good Diet and Advice for Dogs with Pancreatitis

“Holidays Are Great and Fun To Share With Our Pets, As Long As We Avoid the No-No Foods”

Gourmet Doggie Biscuits and Some Holiday Snacking Tips

Beef Verses Bison for Dogs – Variety is critical for your pet to receive the full spectrum of amino acids, essential fatty acids, trace minerals, vitamins and antioxidants necessary to thrive.

Fatty Acids May Improve Mobility In Osteoarthritic Dogs

Pets and Toxic Plants

Natural Pet Remedies For Everyday Problems

Allergies and Springtime Ailments in Pets

Do Vaccinations Affect the Health of our Pets?

How the Pet Food Industry Has Helped Create "Carnivore Metabolic Syndrome"

Now dogs Have a Food Truck of Their Own With Bow-Wow Chow

Dysbiosis: The Root Cause of Many Other Pet Health Problems

Cancer and Your Pet: Two Things to Avoid

Now dogs Have a Food Truck of Their Own With Bow-Wow Chow

The Nutrient Your Dog Needs More of As They Age: Protein – And Expecting Your Pet to Get It from Rendered Pet Food Is the Worst of the Worst of the Worst Options!

Pupcakes

Gourmet Doggie Biscuits and Some Holiday Snacking Tips

Beef Verses Bison for Dogs – Variety is critical for your pet to receive the full spectrum of amino acids, essential fatty acids, trace minerals, vitamins and antioxidants necessary to thrive.

Chicken Jerky Recipe for dogs

WHAT HUMAN FOODS ARE UNSAFE FOR PETS? (the 12 worst)–> chocolate, sugarless gum & artificial sweeteners, alcohol, yeast dough, grapes & raisins, Macadamia nuts, onions (bad for dogs and cats… but poison for cats), garlic (for cats), caffeine, fat trimmings and bones (bad for cats and limited fat and the right bones for dogs), raw eggs (for cats, but must be careful for dogs and humans), and milk.

Some of the best human foods for dogs:  peanut butter (although peanuts and peanut butter can contain mold so could be bad for humans and dogs), cheese including cottage cheese (some some dogs can be prone to be lactose intolerant like people), yogurt, watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, blueberries, salmon, green beans, sweet potatoes, fresh raw carrots, pumpkin, and lean meat… cooked or raw.

Resources:

Not Fit for a Dog!: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food

See Spot Live Longer – How to help your dog live a longer and healthier life!

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals

Technorati Tags: China,check labels on pet food,cooking for your pet,real food for pets,commerical pet food,no Chinese pet food,pet jerky,FDA,pet food,healthy eating for pets,JOMP,Just One More Pet,dog food recipes,pet food recipes

Alaska… One in a Billion Shot…

 

HOLY …  SH_T !!!

ALASKA

…One In A Billion Shot…

The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay, at the end of the road, just around the corner from the ferry terminal, in Sitka, Alaska.

The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface all around the kayak.)

The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist. All he could think of at that moment in time was:

"Paddle fast–and I do mean paddle really fast…!"

In case you didn’t realize it…, the whale’s mouth is fully open with the bottom half completely under his Kayak…! If the whale had closed his mouth before he had furiously paddled away – he might have been LUNCH…!!!

As the story goes, he apparently didn’t sustain any injuries from the terrifying experience, except that is…, a memory of what happened…, that I don’t think will EVER-EVER go away!!!

h/t to Gary dRat

Technorati Tags: Alaska,nature,amazing photos,amazing animal photos,whales,JOMP,Just One More Pet

Hedgehog Babies

Video: Hedgehog Babies

Video: Hello, Hedgehog!: Ultra Kawaii

What’s brown and beige and prickly all over? A hedgehog of course! These spikey Australian critters know how to stay safe by rolling in a ball and stay adorable by sticking their little black snouts in the air. Check it out…

Otters holding hands

Video:  Otters holding hands

Vancouver Aquarium: two sea otters float around, napping, holding hands. SO CUTE!

Technorati Tags: otters,Vancouver Aquarium,sea otters,JOMP,Just One More Pet,animals,animal behavior

Cop blows away dog ‘for no good reason’… again – Why does this keep happening?

‘I can’t live in this town. What is wrong with you?’  I agree but have now lived in supposed pet/animal friendly Austin where the police has killed a least 4-dogs this past year in questionable situations… and it is happening in other areas.  Why are we putting up with it?

Time to demand that the penalty for the unwarranted killing or harming of pets (animals) by anyone become much tougher… MUCH!!

WND:

Scout the dog was shot and killed by police in St. Louis, Michigan

Residents in the small town of St. Louis, Mich., are in an uproar after a local police officer shot a dog on its own property on Sunday afternoon.

The 8-year-old golden retriever named Scout was owned by Brian and Hillary Goetzinger, who were inside their home when the incident took place.

“I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, and I was like, ‘What is going on?’” Brian Goetzinger told WNEM-TV. “So I stood up and looked out this window right here out of my house, and I see the St. Louis Police Department standing over my dog, and that’s all bloody, laying right here.”

According to a police report filed by Officer Matt Vanhall, the officer was on patrol in the neighborhood when the dog darted out in front of his cruiser.

“I had to hit the brakes very hard to avoid hitting the dog,” he said in the report.

Vanhall got out of his car and followed the dog to its own yard.

“I could see the dog standing in the yard of the residence about six feet in front of the open gate,” Vanhall said.

He approached the gate without entering and whistled to Scout, saying, “Come here pup,” and the dog “jumped off the deck and ran at me. I began backing away as fast as I could in a backward direction. I immediately noticed the dog was showing its teeth and I could hear the dog growling very loudly.”

According to the Morning Sun newspaper, Vanhall kicked at the dog a couple of times as the dog tried to bite his leg, he claimed in the report. He repeated the action and the dog continued to try to bite his leg.

“At this point the dog was within three feet of me and I was running a backwards circular motion so as not to turn my back on the dog,” he wrote. “At this time I pulled my service weapon and rapidly fired seven shots while backing away from the dog as quickly as I could.”

He says most of the shots missed, but he thought the canine had been shot in its hind legs and mouth, and thus was no longer a threat.

But a neighbor who witnessed the entire incident has a very different account of the shooting.

“It wasn’t provoked. It wasn’t warranted,” said Lori Lynne Walmsley. “He just started shooting him. He just kept shooting him in the head, and I saw it like six or eight times. And I just couldn’t believe it. I can’t live in this town. What is wrong with you?”

On Monday, Walmsley said she had seen the bullets enter the dog and became traumatized.

In her statement to police, she says before the shooting, Officer Vanhall had asked her if the dog was hers.

“And I said, “No, but it is my new friend.”

The dog then scampered back to his yard and got behind the gate.

The policeman, she wrote, “tried to force the dog out. The dog made a low, mild growl declaring his displeasure at being forced from his ‘safe’ haven (and at the same time assumed he needed to protect his property,)” she wrote.

“The dog never attacked the cop. He never jumped, tried to bite or threaten him, but the cop drew his gun as if in a panicked frenzy,” she wrote. “He shot the dog like it was ‘Cujo’ at least six or eight times.”

The dog was still alive after being shot, and despite being rushed to a veterinarian, it died of its injuries.

“I just couldn’t believe that, let alone the police were in my yard shooting anything, let alone my dog, who was sweet,” Goetzinger told WNEM. “He’s been our family pet for at least eight years. We’ve had him since he was a puppy. My daughter sleeps with him periodically, and he’s just the nicest dog. He’s never attacked anyone ever. So I just couldn’t understand why someone would shoot him.”

Police Chief Patrick Herblet told the station his officer was “absolutely” justified in shooting Scout.

“He felt threatened,” Herblet said. “The dog came at him. It growled. It showed its teeth. He backed away. He tried to kick it away a couple times and it kept at him. And he felt the only thing he could do was pull his service revolver, and he shot.”

The city of St. Louis has a leash law aimed at keeping dogs from running through the streets.

Police reports have been turned over to the local prosecutor.

“The matter is under review,” Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion told the Morning Sun. “I have the initial reports and the dog owner showed up at the office and said that there were inaccuracies in the report.”

Meanwhile, incensed citizens in the region are expressing their outrage online:

• Heather Morse: “He called the dog, then felt threatened when the dog came towards him? Why didn’t he go to the door first? What is wrong with this cop?”

• Kevin Blackhurst: “Time to cut this Barney Fife from the force and the chief who protects him.”

• Grace Rooks McCormick: “Hmmm maybe he could have called animal control, the big wus!”

• Sam Snyder: “This is appalling! If an officer came to my home, provoked our family pet and killed it, I would have attacked that pathetic excuse for a cop myself. Everyone should call their station at (989) 681-5285  or email the chief at pherblet@stlouismi.com and let them know that this kind of brutality will not be tolerated by public officials. This ‘officer’ needs to be held accountable for this crime.”

The 9/11 rescue dogs: Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero one decade on

MailOnline:

During the chaos of the 9/11 attacks, where almost 3,000 people died, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their brave owners scoured Ground Zero for survivors.

Now, ten years on, just 12 of these heroic canines survive, and they have been commemorated in a touching series of portraits entitled ‘Retrieved’.

The dogs worked tirelessly to search for anyone trapped alive in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers and members of the public.

Moxie, 13, from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrived with her handler, Mark Aliberti, at the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11 and searched the site for eight days

Tara, 16, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, arrived at the World Trade Center on the night of the 11th. The dog and her handler Lee Prentiss were there for eight days

Kaiser, 12, pictured at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, was deployed to the World Trade Center on September 11 and searched tirelessly for people in the rubble

Travelling across nine states in the U.S. from Texas to Maryland, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade on from 9/11.

Their stories have now been compiled in a book, called Retrieved, which is published on Friday, the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

Noted for her touching portraits of animals, especially dogs, Charlotte wanted ‘Retrieved’ to mark not only the anniversary of the September 2001 attacks, but also as recognition for some of the first responders and their dogs.

More…

• The Twins of the Twin Towers: Of the 3,000 killed on September 11, 46 were twins, ten years on the surviving siblings tell their haunting stories
• US issues worldwide travel alert ahead of 9/11 anniversary
• Happy 9/11 Remembrance  –  Mosque on FLT 93 burial grounds?

‘I felt this was a turning point, especially for the dogs, who although are not forgotten, are not as prominent as the human stories involved,’ explained Charlotte, who splits her time between New York and Amsterdam.

‘They speak to us as a different species and animals are greatly important for our sense of empathy and to put things into perspective.’

Bretagne and his owner Denise Corliss from Cypress, Texas, arrived at the site in New York on September 17, remaining there for ten days

Bretagne takes a break from work at the 9/11 site with his handler Denise

Guinness, 15, from Highland, California, started work at the site with Sheila McKee on the morning of September 13 and was deployed at the site for 11 days

Merlyn and his handler Matt Claussen were deployed to Ground Zero on September 24, working the night shift for five days

Most of the search and rescue dogs are Labradors or Golden Retrievers and Charlotte feels that the title works across many aspects of the story.

‘I found the dogs, I retrieved them, they were there to retrieve the victims, it is nicely rounded,’ explained Charlotte whose work is being exhibited at the Julie Saul Gallery NYC opening on September 8, in time for the anniversary.

After working on a project about police canines and other working dogs, she was inspired to concentrate on the animals that played such a huge part in seeking survivors.

Contacting the NYPD, the New York Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Charlotte discovered that out of the nearly 100 dogs among the first responders deployed by FEMA, there were in fact only 15 still alive last year.

Red, 11, from Annapolis, Maryland, went with Heather Roche to the Pentagon from September 16 until the 27 as part of the Bay Area Recovery Canines

Abigail, left, was deployed on the evening of September 17, searching for 10 days while Tuff arrived in New York at 11:00 pm on the day of attack to start working early the next day

Scout and another unknown dog lie among the rubble at Ground Zero, just two of nearly 100 search and rescue animals who helped to search for survivors

‘They were there for the first few weeks, they were trained to find people alive, although that is ultimately not what happened,’ said Charlotte, who will hold a fundraiser for the First Responder Alliance at Clic Bookstore in New York on September 29.

‘I traveled across the United States to meet with the owners and portray the dogs. They are all retired and I spent time with each of their handlers learning about their experiences.

‘It was moving talking to Denise Corliss, who is the handler and owner of Bretagne, one of the Golden Retrievers.

‘She told me a touching story of one fireman who was there in the rubble, and how taken he was with Bretagne who comforted him as he sat down to catch his breath.

Handler Julie Noyes and Hoke were deployed to the World Trade Center from their home in Denver on September 24 and searched for five days

Searching for survivors: The dogs worked around the clock in the vain hope of finding anyone still alive at the World Trade Center site

‘Years later at a Remembrance Ceremony, the same fireman recognized Bretagne and her handler and they had a touching reunion.

‘It developed that even though the dogs couldn’t find people still alive, they could provide comfort for the brave firemen and rescue workers of the emergency services.’

Wishing to tell the other side of heroism from 9/11, each of Charlotte’s encounters with dogs such as Gabriel and Orion and Scout stayed with her.

‘The dogs are now old and they will soon pass away. Even during the time it has taken since my first work on the ‘Retrieved’ portraits to now, three of the final 15 have died,’ said Charlotte.

‘These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs and their portraits are offering us a way to deal with the things that happened as well as relying on them for comfort.’

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Military dogs euthanized as ‘equipment’ under cruel law

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