DURING the horrors of the September 11 attacks, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their brave handlers scoured Ground Zero.  Most of the search and rescue dogs were Labradors or Golden Retrievers who worked tirelessly searching for those trapped in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers. A decade later only 12 of these heroic canines survive.  Now they have been commemorated in a photographic book entitled Retrieved by Charlotte Dumas due to be published shortly.

In 2010 Charlotte contacted the New York Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and discovered that out of nearly 100 dogs who were among the first responders, only 15 were still alive.  Charlotte set about capturing portraits of the dogs and, sadly, since she began working on the book a further three of the final 15 have died.

"All the dogs are long retired and I spent time with each of their handlers learning about their experiences," Charlotte said.   "These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs helped us to deal with the terrible things that happened.”

Please note:  The book is due for publication at the end of Setpember 2011 and we will mail it out to you immediately supplies are received from the publishers.  All profits from the sale of this book at Stockbridge Gallery will benefit the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation which exists to "to strengthen disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters."