In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, hundreds of dogs served had a crucial role in the search for survivors, and for victims’ remains. Now these heroes and their teams are getting their do in an exhibition at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. 

“Putting the photographs together is what makes this exhibit special,” said Amy Weinstein, the museum’s oral historian, who curated the show.

Their contribution to the massive rescue and recovery effort was vital.

“On the 11th, we saw the value of the dogs. We saw that there was nothing as effective as the dogs for searching wide areas, for clearing spaces,” says Dr. Cynthia Otto, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Vet Working Dog Center. “Their ability to recognize odors, respond to odors, to trace the source of an odor is phenomenal.”