SmoochieBears Mutley Crew

I'd like to meet:

ALL DOGGIES
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Heroes:

*JESUS* * THE PIZZA MAN* *ANYBODY WHO BRINGS US FOOD!* *ALL OF OUR FRIENDS WHO WE LOVE SO MUCH!Our 911 HERO'S

"If these dogs only knew what a difference they make. Certainly, there's nothing that can replace the precision of a dog's nose and absolutely nothing that can replace a dog's heart." Bob Sessions, rescue worker, Federal Emergency Management Agency
"They go underneath into void spacesanywhere we can get the dogs in. The site is very difficult agility for the dogs. They're crawling on their bellies and squeezing through things. It's incredible to watch." Sharon Gattas, Riverside Urban Search and Rescue
"You can train all you want, but this is the mother lode. The dogs can feel it." Officer Joe Caputo, NYC Police K-9 Unit
"They will search endlessly for that scent until they are called off." Lori Mohr, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
"They may not cry to their fellow firemen or police, but somehow they open up to the dogs." Laura LoPresti, dog caretaker from Monroe Township, Missouri
"All they really want to do is work hard and love you. How can that not raise the human spirit in us all?" Gerald Lauber, Suffolk County SPCA
"Some couldn't take it anymore. Rescuers asked to play fetch with Thunder. But then they'd sneak off in a corner to just be with Thunder, or maybe to talk with him." Bob Sessions, rescue worker, Federal Emergency Management Agency
"Just petting a dog provides comfort to those who need itand where I am now, so many need it." Laura LoPresti, dog caretaker from Monroe Township, Missouri
"A Golden Retriever was carrying his handler's helmet around the site in his mouth, bringing smiles to the grim faces he passed." Mac Daniel, The Boston Globe
"He kind of withdrew from everything. There was so much death there, it was emotional for the dogs." Mike Owens, Southwestern Ohio K-9 Search and Rescue, speaking about his partner Worf
"Morale is important... So it's my job as handler to remove her from the pile ... and then what we do is we set up a scenario for her that she can win at. We used a New York firefighter. He actually hid amongst a little bit of rubble ... and we sent her on a search. She finds the firefighter. He plays with her real good. She's real happy, and she's ready to go to work again." Mark Bogush, Tampa Fire Rescue, speaking about his partner "Marley"
"He's used to working. He just worked a little too hard this time." Michael Norkelun of the Suffolk County SPCA, speaking about SAR dog "Ammo" snoozing nearby
"He was a great, big guy, and he was just bawling. He was crying like a baby. He couldn't talk, but he mouthed the words: 'Thank you. Thank youand thank the dog.' " Louis Wardoup, volunteer, describing how his partner Insee (above) unearthed the hand of a firefighter in front of his FDNY comrades.
"Most of the dogs now in use were puppies from animal shelters that were tested to see if they had the drive to keep searching." Lori Mohr, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
Letter from a Rescuer
My buddy, Hal Wilson, and I went into the "pile" at the World Trade Center with our search dogs, Cody and Sue, at 11 AM on Wednesday, September 12th, 2001. You wouldn't believe the teamwork and the silence with hundreds of firefighters stumbling through the mess.Hal was a US Marine in Vietnam while I served with the airborne. I never thought a paratrooper and a marine would get along so well together. In our camouflage battle dress we were the first military personnel on site since the airports, the tunnels and many other roads to New York City were closed.On the way in through the rubble we walked past deserted restaurants with white and checkered table cloths, fully stacked bars, wine on tables and menus in hallways which had survived the blast. Then the realization hit us head on as we entered a court yard and we saw the "pile" of debris several stories high.We linked up with four state police K-9 teams which were the dirtiest, filthiest men and dogs we had ever seen. They were covered with gray dust and mud. All of the troopers had that thousand meter stare which all combat veterans have after they have been on the line too long.The troopers and their dirty dogs were being pulled out as Hal and I were deployed with Cody and Sue on to the "pile" stacked several stories high with fire rigs, police cars, twisted I beams, shards of glass, aluminum, wood and chunks of metal and concrete sticking out of the ground. The metal rods I stumbled through reminded me of punji stakes in Vietnam.The fire lieutenant in charge led Hal and I and our dogs to a fire rig which has been a hose truck. It was gray, completely burned out...no seats, dash, steering wheel...nothing. "Get down there, please, and tell me if you can detect anybody in there!" the officer requested. Cody and I climbed down ten feet and I called into the truck, "If you can hear me, say ONE, if you can hear me, say TWO, if you can hear me, say THREE!" There was no response. Then I repeated myself and said, "If you can hear me, but can't talk, bang the wall with your foot ONCE...TWICE...THREE TIMES!" Still no response. Cody, my golden retriever, began scratching and I told the fire fighters above me, "We have a body down here!"They pulled Cody and me out of the pit and began cutting the truck open with an electric saw. Several minutes later I heard the fire fighters below call out, "Body Bag!"As an orange plastic roll was passed down the line into the pit next to the burned out rig, another officer asked me, "How good is your dog?" We were standing on a hose line and Cody was scratching again. I didn't have to answer the officer when Cody's paws suddenly were covered with blood. "Body Bag!" was heard again and another roll of orange plastic was passed down the line.The remains of the first fire fighter were carefully lifted to the surface in a basket and eight of his brothers carried the remains to the morgue truck. Soon the second fire fighter's remains Cody had discovered were placed into another body bag and we were asked to step aside as another crew removed them.Another officer grabbed my arm and directed me to a concrete slab which had been a wall the day before. Under the slab was another fire rig. "Can you get down there and tell us if...." He didn't have to finish the request. A hole had been punched into the wall of debris below the slab. "What's down there?" somebody asked.Cody and I climbed down into this pit and I stuck my nose into the hole, smelling gas. Then Cody passed by me digging into the debris under the slab. We smelled burnt flesh again and I signalled the officer behind me. "Body Bag!" was heard again.I couldn't believe Cody had discovered three sets of remains in thirty minutes. It was more than I had ever expected from that dog.As I tried to get out from under the slab and clear the way for another crew to remove remains, I found myself in a great deal of trouble. I was wedged into a pit and couldn't move. It was like being under a staircase in a dark basement and there was no way to get out.Cody was still in front of me however and in a dash for his safety, gasping for air, he jumped over my left shoulder and turned me around. I crawled toward the light and was lifted to the surface by a squad of fire fighters which began to dismantle the slab under which we were trapped.I was exhausted this time so Cody and I returned to the top of the "pile" watching a body bag with remains being removed from the scene every twenty minutes or so.Soon a wind picked up and we began dodging shrapnel flying off buildings about the pile. I thought I had seen it all in two years of Vietnam combat. I hadn't!I couldn't find my helmet which was buried in my back pack under three days of rations I had loaded for Cody. "Helmets!" was the order so I stumbled away to the relative safety of another structure....one which collapsed later in the day.....where two nurses gave us water and another provided us a cup of orange juice.Then I got rattled, starting to look for my partner, Hal, and his dog. He was right behind me...and so was Sue..."Hey Marine...let's get the hell out of here!" I shouted. "Yes, sir!" he responded and we followed a crew of fire fighters carrying remains from the "pile" through the building with the bar and restaurants out to the morgue truck.We were exhausted and hurting. Cody was sneezing and coughing so we headed for the Suffolk County SPCA van. But before we left the scene, Hal procured a metal tray from a garbage pile and we gave our dogs all the water we had.....and as we did.....a squad of fire fighters behind us poured out all their water into the tray for the dogs. Nobody said a word.After the dogs were checked out by volunteer vets and vet techs at the Suffolk County SPCA, had their noses and eyes washed, paws cleaned and received shots, we were ordered to rest for an hour at Stuyvesant High School. We followed orders.About 4 PM we started home, walking towards Penn Station on 34th Street. Sue was close to heat exhaustion and Cody was having a hard time breathing. Then we spotted a Franciscan priest who blessed the animals, Hal and me. We felt better and started on our way again. Cody stopped in his tracks on 23rd Street and 6th Avenue, unable to walk any longer.We watered both dogs, taking a break on a sidewalk, leaning against an office building. Passersby said "Thanks!" and after a few minutes we were on our way again.When we arrived at Penn Station, twenty minutes before our train was due to depart for Long Island, more people said, "Thanks!", providing us food, water and a couple of beers. On the train ride home Cody slept under my feet with his back to the a/c.Thanks New Yorkers for giving us the chance to help!Paul Morgan and Cody Hal Wilson and SueTo share your appreciation, thoughts or questions, contact:Paul B. Morgan Major, US Army (ret) [email protected]
Faithful Dog Leads Blind Man 70 Floors Down WTC Just Before Tower Collapses
NEW YORK CITY In the aftershock of the worst terrorist gambit ever to hit the USA, we learn that the greatest inspiration can be found in the words, images and televised coverage of the American peoples' patriotic strength. But now, pan the cameras down a bit, and you'll find, just as heartening, the nation's dogs also upholding this great spirit of gallantry.If you don't believe me, listen to this:New York resident Omar Eduardo Rivera was unfortunate enough to find himself on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center north tower when the hijacked airliner struck the building 25 floors above him. Mr. Rivera, a computer technician who is blind, was in his office with his guide dog "Dorado" lying under the desk at the time.According to the Contra Costa Times report published today, Mr. Rivera described how he unleashed his faithful friend, so that the dog might escape. But despite the chaos and the crowds of fleeing people, the four-year-old Labrador Retriever suppressed any selfish instinct for survival and instead stayed by the man's side and guided him to safety.Mr. Rivera describes the drama:"I stood up and I could hear how pieces of glass were flying around and falling. I could feel the smoke filling up my lungs and the heat was just unbearable."Not having any sight I knew I wouldn't be able to run down the stairs and through all the obstacles like other people. I was resigned to dying and decided to free Dorado to give him a chance of escape. It wasn't fair that we should both die in that hell."I thought I was lost foreverthe noise and the heat were terrifyingbut I had to give Dorado the chance of escape. So I unclipped his lead, ruffled his head, gave him a nudge and ordered Dorado to go."I hoped he would be able to quickly run down the stairs without me and get to safety. I thought he'd be so scared he'd run. Everything was in chaos. Glass was shattering around my head and people were rushing past down the stairs."At that point, Dorado was swept away by the rush of people fleeing down the stairs, and Mr. Rivera found himself on his own for several minutes amid the pandemonium. But then the unexpected occurred, in the form of a familiar, fuzzy nudge from knee-high.Mr. Rivera explains, "He returned to my side a few minutes later and guided me down 70 flights and out into the street, it was amazing. It was then I knew for certain he loved me just as much as I loved him. He was prepared to die in the hope he might save my life."Inside the egress stairwell, they found some additional assistance from a co-worker. "I took hold of her arm. She went down on my right side and the dog on my left," says Mr. Rivera.The narrow stairwell was extremely crowded, and confusion exacerbated the situation. "People were pushing and shoving past me. Everywhere there was a sense of terror."But according to the man, order gradually prevailed: "...most people behaved quite prudently and grasped what was happening, so we walked down in an orderly fashion, but it was slow going. It was slow going because there were so many people struggling to get out but Dorado kept nudging me down step by step."It took more than an hour for Dorado, Mr. Rivera and his co-worker to descend those 70 flights of stairs. Not long after they had reached the ground and gotten to safety, the tower collapsed.Says Mr. Rivera, "I owe my life to Doradomy companion and best friend."