Dog who searched for WTC survivors dies

[JI7]

Source: prescott herald

A black Labrador who became a national canine hero after burrowing through white-hot, smoking debris in search of survivors at the World Trade Center site died Wednesday after a battle with cancer.

"But against all odds he became a world-class rescue dog," said Flood, a member of Utah Task Force 1, one of eight federal search-and-rescue teams that desperately looked for human remains at ground zero.

On the evening of his team‘s arrival, Jake walked into a fancy Manhattan restaurant wearing his search-and-rescue vest and was promptly treated to a free steak dinner under a table.

After Hurricane Katrina, Flood and Jake drove 30 hours from Utah to Mississippi, where they searched through the rubble of flooded homes in search of survivors.
He also did therapy work with children at a Utah camp for burn victims and at senior homes and hospitals.


Read more: http://www.onelocalnews.com/prescottherald/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=137560

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[Behind the Aegis]

1. So sad.

:cry:

[InkAddict]

2. R.I.P Jake--good dog! n/t

[AtomicKitten]

3. RIP sweet boy

and thank you

[barb162]

4. Poor wonderful doggie.

[Booster]

5. Rest in Peace, Jake. No one could ask more of a dog, and no

dog could give more than Jake did.:cry:

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. A pointer!

God Bless that doggie!

[melody]

7. Well, done, Jake. What a beautiful, brave fellow he was n/t

[poverlay]

9. I second your apropos words and add a pat pat and a righteous belly scritchin'...n/t

[Nay]

8. Good boy ! Unlimited doggie biscuits in heaven for you.

[Triana]

10. Hope he gets the best corner of Heaven there is...

...lil pup was a SAINT!

[Skittles]

11. brings back memories of that terrible time

I remember besides the shock of 9/11 how crushing it was when the hope that huge pockets of suvivors would be found finally died too - and how amazingly dedicated the searchers and those dogs were

[rpannier]

12. A real hero passes away

while the media created faux heroes ghouliani and scrub live on.

[Botany]

13. Good Boy!

[IndianaGreen]

14. RIP Jake

We don't give enough credit to dogs used by first respondents and police forces to assist in natural disasters and catch criminals. Just last month, a police dog killed by a fleeing felon was buried with the full honors accorded to fallen members of the police force. The dog was a fellow police officer, and he was grieved by all, particularly his handler whose life the dog saved.

[theHandpuppet]

15. Sweet dreams, dear Jake

Our loss is heaven's gain.

[Love Bug]

16. RIP Jake -- you deserve it

The first Westminister Dog Show after 9/11 paid tribute to the rescue dogs that had worked at Ground Zero in Manhattan. They brought out the dogs with their handlers and this line up of dogs who otherwise would not ever qualify to be at that show got a standing ovation from the audience. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house, either. I'm sure Jake was among them, and rightly so.

[xultar]

17. Rest in peace Jake. I'm so sad to hear you're gone.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Shit. Do you know that black dog has done more good for humanity than George Bush has.

We would have done better electing a dog to the presidency.

[SammyWinstonJack]

62. ...

:thumbsup:

[aaronbees]

19. Wow, what a trooper

He did so much great work ... rest easy, Jake - I'm sure you'll be missed by those who knew ya. :-(

[Olney Blue]

20. Thank you, Jake! RIP.

[pecwae]

21. ((Jake)) Rest well, sweetheart, rest well.

[HockeyMom]

22. Even our four legged first responders are dying

Very sad. When is our government going to admit this and give these brave souls the help they deserve?

[MrPrax]

23. Kicked!!!

This is so sad

K n R!!

:eyes:

[bdamomma]

24. even the poor dogs who tried to save victims during that

horrible time are dying, and we had sickening man telling people to go shopping. even 1st responders in the clean up died.

yea, the air was safe huh? what assholes.

[sabbat hunter]

39. the dog was

12 years old. not at all unusual for a black lab who is 12 years old to have cancer and die. in fact the general life expectancy for a black lab is about 12-13 years old.


this isnt to say the air around ground zero wasnt unhealthy, but i do not think that this dog dying is a cause and effect relationship with ground zero.

[jeff30997]

46. My dog died of cancer 2 months ago.

She was also 12 years old.

[lynne]

57. Had to put my black lab down two months ago -

- she was 11 and had cancer. She'd had two full mastectomies - both chains - and numerous lump removals but once it infiltrated her chest wall, she didn't last long.

We miss her . . . :cry:

[jeff30997]

58. I know how you feel...

I cried for days too.

[uppityperson]

25. RIP Jake, thank you for everything you did.

[shenmue]

26. Goodbye Jake

Sit sit sit sit. Good boy.

:loveya:

[knitter4democracy]

27. Rest in peace, sweet doggie. May you chase bunnies in peace.

:(

[PoconoPragmatist]

28. R.I.P. Jake - You Are A True American Hero!!

There's no words to describe the depths of your heroism!!

All I can think, at the moment...is the words of Will Rogers..."If all dogs do not go to Heaven, then, when I die, I want to go where they went."

EDIT: Recommended. If anyone ever deserved that, Jake does.

[Caoimhe]

29. RIP Sweet pup. Face kisses!!! n/t

[go west young man]

30. An awesome dog. Good on ya jake.

He was a great example of how truly wonderful our canine friends are.

[tmlanders]

31. Good boy, Jake!

Lots of people will be waiting for you at the bridge, to thank you for the work you did in finding them. Lots of loves and bellies -- you deserve them!

[PoconoPragmatist]

33. Do You Mean This Bridge??

http://www.rainbowbridge.com/Poem.htm

If ever anyone deserved to go there, Jake does.

[tmlanders]

50. Absolutely!

Where all the good dogs go! RIP, pupper Jake!

[classof56]

32. You've more than earned this time of rest and peace, Jake.

You have left an amazing legacy of good works on this earth. Say hello to my Cammy-Dog for me. She'll be waiting for you!

Blessings to Flood for sharing Jake with us!

[PoconoPragmatist]

34. Yes

and say hi to my beautiful boy, Barney. He will be there, too.

I truly believe that dogs are God's furry little angels....here on this Earth to try and teach us thick-skulled human beings the simplest concept of all...Unconditional Love.

[classof56]

45. Well said--and I could not agree more.

Cammy was my friend, companion and source of unconditional love for 13 years. She has been gone for two years, and I cannot stop thinking about her and still cry because I miss her so much. I'm sure you feel that same way about your Barney. Unconditional love is, as you say, the simplest concept of all, and yet we humans cannot seem to get it right. Thank God for the furry little angels who bless our lives!

[PoconoPragmatist]

48. I'm Sorry For Your Loss

And I hope you have found another deserving doggie to share your life with. No dog will ever replace Cammy, I'm sure...but, hopefully, you have found another furry angel to share your life with. Dogs give us so much more than we could ever give them.

Know that someday, you and Cammy will be reunited, at Rainbow Bridge...just as Barney and I will be.

For now, the love of my life is a black lab named Lyric. She's an absolute doll. she can never replace Barney...just as no dog will ever replace Lyric when she goes on. But I hope you have found another furry angel to help you with the grief of your loss.

For us, our dogs are part of the family.

[Exiled in America]

35. Wow this is important news!

:eyes:

[PoconoPragmatist]

44. Well

I hope that someone says the same to YOUR obituary. And I doubt you will have ever gave as much as Jake did.

[Branjor]

51. Yes, it is important news.

The death of any 9/11 responder is important news.

What's not important is your half-a$$ed opinion.

[PoconoPragmatist]

53. Bet Your Ass It Is!!

Damn, you cold-coked that sorry sucker even worse than I did.

I could not believe those words. very few times in my life have I been utterly blindsided like that. That dog risked, and eventually...gave his life, that others might live. You're darn skippy it's important news!

[Auntie Bush]

63. Wow! You sound like a nice warn fuzzy person. I feel sorry for

anyone who loves you...but with all that empathy oozing from you...there probably isn't any one to feel sorry for.

[brentspeak]

36. Jake's in Doggie Heaven now

[Branjor]

37. RIP Jake.

:crying:

[stressfulreality]

38. i wub animals n/t

[hisownpetard]

40. I'd like to thank Jake - and his human partner - for all their

unselfish work, which helped so many.
A wonderful life lived, Jake. Good boy!

[skul_Donteecha]

41. If you ever needed proof that dogs

are man's best friend, you now have that proof.
Rest in peace furry friend, secure in the knowledge
that you did your job well and acquitted yourself
far more than could ever have been asked of you.
You were the best and you still are.

[colorado_ufo]

42. Good, good boy.

God bless you, Jake, as you have blessed all of us. And blessings on your owner, too, who not only rescued you but shared you with an undeserving world.

That we could all be forgiving, as you were, Jake.

That we could all love, as you did, Jake.

May you be happy forever, Hero Jake.

[PoconoPragmatist]

43. Yes.

Most of this world is undesrving of dogs, and the love they give. Yet, they go on giving. More proof that dogs are God's furry little angels. Anyone else ever notice that DOG is GOD in the mirror?

[lovuian]

47. Great dog

he was amazing

[Eurobabe]

49. Aww, poor Jake

and all the others who are suffering from ill effects of 9-11 aftermath. :cry: RIP Jake.

[roguevalley]

52. god bless him and all the other searching/empathy animals there.

[mikelgb]

54. good doggy

[daleo]

55. He would have made a better president than the chimp did

It would have been better to have had a creature that actually answered the bell on 911.

[HamdenRice]

56. Sounds like Jake was one of those "once in a lifetime" dogs!

Funny thing is that for most of us, whatever dog we happen to have now is our once in a lifetime dog!

But Jake clearly was super special.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

59. Thank you, Jake...

:cry:

[janx]

60. GOOD DOG, JAKE!

GOOD DOG!

:cry:

[intheflow]

61. Dog was double-exposed to toxins, in NYC and in MS after Katrina.

No telling what he might have been exposed to amid the flood ruins. Depending where he was in Mississippi, he could have been sniffing through Dupont dioxin spills, and Agent Orange contamination, or even just every household toxant from WD-40 to nail polish remover to paint to asbestos.

RIP, Jake. Thank you for your service. :patriot:

[Kolesar]

64. That's what I was thinking when I read this headline ... eom

[Gloria]

65. A true hero. RIP, Jake....as well as the other dogs who have died as well since working

on 9/11.