Arizona K-9 handler recalls 9/11 search and rescue at Ground Zero

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Countless stories detail the bravery of people on Sept. 11, but there were also hundreds of four-legged heroes that searched the rubble in the days that followed. Now-retired Peoria firefighter Reeny Shannon and her search and rescue dog Everest spent more than a week at Ground Zero searching for people in the wreckage after the Twin Towers fell. Twenty-five years later, her memories have not faded.

The backstory:

Everyone can recall where they were when they found out about the planes hitting the Twin Towers, but for Shannon, it is the days which followed that she will remember most.

"When disasters like that happen, when you're there… you forget about everything and about life, like news and money and stresses and dentist appointments," said Shannon.

Shannon, then a Peoria firefighter, was deployed to Ground Zero with her search and rescue dog Everest as part of Arizona Task Force One to look for people trapped in the rubble. What most saw through television screens, Shannon saw firsthand.

What they're saying:

"We walked through the perimeter of Ground Zero, and we saw the destruction. And it was really quiet and no one talked. It was devastating," Shannon said.

She says the noses on dogs like Everest proved invaluable to first responders.

"It was such a huge area and so many voids. We were able to cover a large area and confirm that there was nobody alive in the voids. So they can continue on, just keep searching," Shannon said. "It saved a lot of time and energy for first responders digging, because the dogs could clear the area."

Scottsdale K-9 continues mission

Shannon continues a similar mission today with her dog Sully as a canine search specialist with Scottsdale's Search and Rescue Team.

"Some of our dogs are dual trained in human remains detection and live scent detection. Sully, Reeny's dog, is working to get both certifications," said Bill Gutman, battalion chief with the Scottsdale Fire Department.

Lasting effects:

She carries the memories of 9/11 with her to this day. Over the years, Shannon was diagnosed with asthma after developing what was known as the "World Trade Center cough."

"I do a daily inhaler to control it," Shannon said.

While there were sadly no more survivors found after Shannon and Everest arrived, she says their time at Ground Zero changed her forever.

"Just… going there to help and save people. And it was a sense of community that I’ll never forget. Everyone came together to help the city of New York," Shannon said.