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Canine Search-And-Rescue Teams To Appear at Rockland Dog Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Linda Blick, 845-926-3478
Abigail Gary, 201-573-0228, ext. 17

Canine Search-And-Rescue Teams To Appear at Rockland Dog Show

Park Ridge, NJ, February 22, 2011—Representatives from Finding One Another: Courage Beyond Measure, the yearlong tribute to 9/11 canine search and rescue (SAR) teams, will be at the upcoming Rockland County Kennel Club Dog Show. Also present will be members of SAR teams similar to the ones that participated in the recent search for the missing hiker and her dog in Rockland County a few weeks ago.

The Dog Show takes place on February 26-27 at the Eugene Levy Field House, Rockland County Community College in Suffern. More than 2,200 dogs of 150 breeds from all over the country have been entered in the show. Visitors will have an opportunity to meet and greet currently working SAR dogs and their handlers.

“The search and rescue teams who worked on 9/11 played a major role on that day,” said Patricia Coleman, Vice President of the Rockland County Kennel Club and coordinator of the show. “It had a major impact on our community in Rockland County. It’s an honor to have these teams in our show.”

“Search and rescue dogs were virtually unrecognized heroes until their tireless searching was broadcast nationally and internationally during the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” according to Dr. Cynthia M. Otto, an emergency and critical-care veterinarian and Associate Professor of Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania. “Not only did these dogs spend countless hours combing Ground Zero and the Pentagon in hopes of finding a living survivor, they did so without any protective gear. They were exposed to all of the same toxins and hazards as the human first responders. This shared risk combined with the shorter canine lifespan has the potential to provide valuable insight into some of the long-term effects of such exposure for both dogs and humans.” Dr. Otto is serving as co-chair for the 10th Anniversary Tribute Committee to the K9 Search and Rescue Community of 9/11.

The dog show takes place Saturday, February 26, and Sunday, February 27, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information on the Rockland County Kennel Club Dog Show, go to www.raudogshows.com.

Finding One Another: Courage Beyond Measure is the tribute to the canine SAR community, volunteer and professional, canine and human, of 9/11 on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. Events are taking place all year commemorating these teams who served heroically and who continue to work today in new catastrophes and crises. Among the events scheduled are educational programs to create a clearer public understanding of the work and mission of the search and rescue community. These will include an exhibit of photographs and artifacts depicting the SAR community’s work at the 9/11 sites and elsewhere, and the compilation of a historic registry of those in the SAR community, including the veterinarians, Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams, and other working dogs and their partners. Finding One Another will also co-sponsor the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine International Working Dog Conference 2011. More information on events is available at www.tailsofhopefoundation.org.