She volunteered as a reading assistance dog at an elementary school, became a star of a non-fiction book about senior dogs, was nominated for a Hero Dog Award by the American Humane Association, and even met with former President George H.W. Bush.
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But yesterday afternoon, at the grand old age of 16 – and just two months away from her 17th birthday – Bretagne was put to sleep with her longtime handler and best friend Denise Corliss by her side.
“This was a very small way for us to pay tribute to a dog who truly has been a hero”, Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department Captain David Padovan tells today.com.
Bretagne’s body will undergo an autopsy at Texas A&M University as part of a long-running study on 9/11 search dogs.
Members of the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department in Texas assembled to see K9 Bretagne Corliss, believed to be the last September 11th search dog, off to her Last Alarm.
The golden retriever was 2 years old when she was deployed as a FEMA Search and Rescue Canine to the site of the World Trade Center for 10 days with Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) and her handler Denise Corliss.
It’s no coincidence that search and rescue dogs such as Bretagne succeed while working under such risky conditions.
For her 16th birthday party, BarkPost threw Bretagne a party that brought her back to NY for festivities that included food, games and presents. After that, Bretagne responded to almost a dozen other disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ivan.
As Bretagne’s health began to deteriorate in recent weeks, Corliss made the heartrending decision to end her suffering. “Dogs can be so comforting, so it makes sense to me now”, she says. An American flag was draped over her body as she was carried out of the facility.
Bretagne and Corless went to Ground Zero in 2014 for the first time since 2001.
After hearing Bretagne’s story and learning that her 16th birthday was coming up, there was no question in our minds that she deserved a Dog’s Best Day for the ages. “Strength and peace to her handler Denise Corliss”, the statement read.
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The NYPD Special Ops also honored her on Twitter.
