The Search
& Rescue and Service Dog Day, which honored often-overlooked
heroes-the working dog, was held at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
in New York City on September 6. The Bear Search and Rescue Foundation
sponsored the event, which was the largest service event in U.S.
history. Service dog day was the third highest attended special
event at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. (Insert in box)
"The priority mission of Customs and Border Protection is to
prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our country.
At CBP we are fortunate to have the "Ivy League" of training
facilities for working dogs. With this top-notch training they become
a vital part of our overall strategy for a more secure frontline
at our nations ports and borders." - Commissioner Robert C.
Bonner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection p
CBP's four-footed participants
"Crazy Joe," voted top dog in the Paws to Recognize program,
along with his handler, Canine Enforcement Officer Cindy Grob, participated
in the event. Canine officers from each legacy agency'U.S. Customs
Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Naturalization Service,
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service??o participated in this
event.
The CBP canine teams attending were Inspector Oscar Montano with
"Boris'(Immigration), Canine Enforcement Officer Wojciec "Woody"
Bochenek with "Oz" (Customs), Senior Patrol Agent Dave
Perry with "Mick" (Border Patrol), Canine Officer James
Armstrong with "K.C." (Agriculture), and Canine Officer
Junior Anderson with "Bonnie" (Agriculture).
This event was Bonnie's last. One week after the event she was diagnosed
with a serious illness and passed away on October 7.
Bear Search and Rescue Foundation
Today, Captain Scott Shields is the director of marine safety for
the New York City urban parks search and rescue team, but on September
11, 2001, he and his eleven-year-old golden retriever, Bear, were
at Ground Zero in New York City helping with the rescue efforts
at the World Trade Center. Bear was one of the first canines to
search the rubble. He worked eighteen-hour days, and is credited
with finding many victims, including the FDNY Chief Peter Ganci.
Bear was injured while working the site and the edges of his wound
became cancerous. He died one year later of multiple forms of cancer.
The foundation was created to address the needs of both canine
and non-canine search and rescue (SAR) teams across the country.
The mission of the Bear Search and Rescue Foundation is: provide
health care to all SAR K-9s that worked at Ground Zero and the Pentagon
provide instructions in emergency management to search and rescue
teams equip teams around the country provide free air transport
for SAR teams where possible |
