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The Four-Legged Heroes of 9/11 Quiz

The aftermath of 9/11 saw the largest deployment of search and rescue dogs in U.S. History. These courageous and determined animals are true heroes to whom we owe so much.

A multiple-choice quiz by sally0malley. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
sally0malley

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
369,161

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
496

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Among the of heroes of 9/11 were approximately 400 dogs and their human handlers, who worked on-site at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, PA. Some arrived within hours after the attacks. During their shifts, how long would the dogs and their handlers work in the rubble continuously before a break or rest period?

Hint

20-45 minutes

8 hours

3 to 6 hours

it varied depending on the size of the dog

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Question 2 of 10

2. On day two, Kaiser, a German shepherd was preceding his handler, Tony Zintsmaster, up on a pile of rubble and when he suddenly stopped short and refused to move. What was the reason Kaiser refused to continue? Hint

He was distracted by yelling.

He was dehydrated.

He located clothing belonging to a victim.

He detected fires burning beneath the rubble.

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Question 3 of 10

3. A few weeks into the rescue, a SAR dog named Servus, fell head-first twenty feet into a jagged pocket within the rubble. His nose filled with dust and debris and he was suffocating. His injuries caused him to go into shock and his owner/ handler made an "on the spot decision" to retire him.

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. Sadly, the time came when some SAR dogs were dismissed and ________ dogs, trained to locate deceased victims, took over.

Answer: (one word, 7 letters )

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Question 5 of 10

5. The SAR dogs of 9/11 were trained in three varying methods: "find it" which is locating human scent, "show me" in which he finds a victim usually by tracking or trailing, returns to his handler and then leads the handler back to the person. What is the third method called in which the SAR dog stays with the victim and alerts his handler by barking? Hint

victim alert

victim assist

victim discovery

victim loyalty

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which item(s) was(were) standard issue as part of SAR dogs equipment? Hint

protective booties

safety vests

respirator masks

they were all issued

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Question 7 of 10

7. Not every dog dispatched in the recovery effort worked in the rubble. Some dogs were dispatched specifically for therapy. Which of the following did therapy dogs NOT detect in rescue workers? Hint

trauma

depression

stress

seizures

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of the following was included the standard decontamination process at the end of each SAR dog's shift along with baths, ear cleaning and eyes rinsing? Hint

intravenous fluids

blood tests

antibiotic injections (administered by veterinarians)

the standard process did not include any of these

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Question 9 of 10

9. Dusty, a golden retriever SAR who was deployed to the WTC, took on additional duties of comforting firefighters and rescue workers. She had a very impressive resume, however which of the following was NOT one of her "assignments"? Hint

two month deployment in Iraq

deployment in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina

ringing the opening bell of the NYSE

locating missing persons

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Question 10 of 10

10. As a result of locating the remains two victims (firefighters) at Ground Zero, a 12-year-old German shepherd named Worf displayed signs of which condition? Hint

aggression

depression

disobedience

all of these

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: 20-45 minutes

The dogs and their handlers were on-call for 12-hour shifts. They generally worked in the rubble for 20 to 45 minutes and then rested for an equal period of time. The teams of dogs included Search and Rescue (SAR) as well as therapy dogs. The majority of dogs on the scene were trained to find survivors but unfortunately that changed as efforts continued.

Answer: He detected fires burning beneath the rubble.

Kaiser was able to feel the hot rubble under his bare paws and alerted his handler to investigate further. Zintsmaster realized fires were still burning under the rubble, which could have had tragic consequences for rescue workers if there had been a collapse.

Answer: False

Servus was rescued from the pit and given immediate medical attention which included oxygen and an IV. He was rushed to the nearest animal hospital in the back seat of an NYPD cruiser, complete with a motorcycle escort. Servus recovered after a day and was able to return to duty at Ground Zero.

4. Sadly, the time came when some SAR dogs were dismissed and ________ dogs, trained to locate deceased victims, took over.

Answer: cadaver

Cadaver dogs are trained to locate human remains by detecting chemicals released by the human body during decomposition. They are trained in trailing and air scenting.

Although the dogs did not locate live victims at Ground Zero, in many cases the remains they did find aided the families in grieving for their loved ones.

Answer: victim loyalty

Dogs were usually trained in one of the methods although some were trained additionally. "Find it" is essentially an air scent alert which was most common, "show me" is known as recall-find which was not used often because the SAR dogs were at times lowered into deep "pockets" in the rubble or "belly crawling" into hard to reach spaces and with "victim loyalty" the dogs always remained with the victim and signaled either by barking or pawing for the human rescuer to come and investigate the spot.

6. Which item(s) was(were) standard issue as part of SAR dogs equipment?

Answer: safety vests

The SAR dogs did not wear respirator masks as their "job" required them to locate human scent. It is interesting to note that studies conducted on the dogs deployed to the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Staten Island landfills fared extremely well without masks. One theory is because dogs have longer nasal passages than humans, perhaps their noses filter better. Most dogs did not wear booties because they require traction to walk on piles of debris and rubble. Bright orange safety vests were a standard issue.

The vest enabled dogs to be harnessed while in a "Stokes Basket" (a basket stretcher used in rescue) and pulled by rope trolley system above of the deep "canyons" of Ground Zero".

7. Not every dog dispatched in the recovery effort worked in the rubble. Some dogs were dispatched specifically for therapy. Which of the following did therapy dogs NOT detect in rescue workers?

Answer: seizures

Therapy dogs aided in calming anxiety, provided unconditional love and in some cases enabled overwhelmed workers to "open up" and communicate. Therapy dogs at the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center provided comfort to victims' families also.

There are "Seizure Response Dogs" that are trained assist people with epilepsy or other seizure disorders however they were not used in the Ground Zero recovery.

8. Which of the following was included the standard decontamination process at the end of each SAR dog's shift along with baths, ear cleaning and eyes rinsing?

Answer: the standard process did not include any of these

An assembly line, described as a "doggy car wash", was utilized as Task Force members cleaned dogs (and scrubbed the human searchers' boots). Since SAR dogs cannot wear respirators and "booties", special attention was paid to noses and paws. Although all of the above were available if needed, they were not part of the usual decontamination process.

Answer: two month deployment in Iraq

Dusty rang the opening bell for the NYSE on September 19, 2001. She received an appreciative pat on the head from President Bush when he visited Ground Zero. When she was "off duty" she could frequently be seen walking around with her handler's safety helmet in her mouth entertaining the rescuers. Mayor Giuliani was quoted as saying "I just look at her and I feel better".

10. As a result of locating the remains two victims (firefighters) at Ground Zero, a 12-year-old German shepherd named Worf displayed signs of which condition?

Answer: depression

Some dogs were affected emotionally as well as humans. After locating the two victims Worf laid down. He began shedding a great deal, wouldn't eat or play with other dogs. His owner felt he was overwhelmed and decided to retire him as a SAR dog.

Change in eating habits, withdrawal and unusual shedding can all be symptoms of depression.

Source: Author sally0malley

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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