...I once watched a program (after 9/11) about rescue dogs. One set of profiles they did was on the dogs that were used to find bodies among the rubble of the twin towers. These dogs would find people, sometimes still alive, but mostly those that perished. Both the owners and the animals worked day and night, pretty much exhausted after long, grueling hours.

...One owner that was interviewed talked of his rottweiler, who was a great rescue dog...found many people, both alive and dead, during his career as a cadaver dog. He spoke of how, after the time at the towers, his dog was listless...he almost seemed depressed. He wouldn't eat, and didn't seem to want to do anything anymore. He was afraid that maybe, with all the dust and what was in it, his dog was sick.

(A friend of mine who lives out there once told me that all that shit that was released into the air when the towers were destroyed will probably show up years later as cancer and other bad things. Even though he and his friends knew they were being exposed, they still went down to help, like many others)

...Dogs, unfortunately, can develop a lot of human diseases like cancer. So you can imagine what this man thought was happening with his friend. On further observation, the owner was relieved to find out his dog wasn't sick, at least not physically.

...On further observation, it was discovered the rott was covered in brown dirt...which makes sense after what he'd been doing.

...On further observation, it was discovered that it wasn't dirt he was covered in, it was dried blood. From head to toe, dried blood from all the bodies he'd found in the debris.

...After a long, cleansing bath, the dog seemed to bounce back to normal. He was eating, and seemd to be happy again.

...Some people think this is silly, but it was agreed upon by everyone, that the rottweiler had been depressed...saddened...physically and emotionally affected by all of this. I for one agree that that can happen.
posted by Wanting at 5:55 PM