who had developed expertise on the Akita breed, noticed Hachiko at the station and followed him home. There, he learned all about Hachiko’s life. After this meeting, Saito published a census of purebred Akitas in Japan, finding only 30 and several articles on Akitas’ incredible loyalty. This placed Hachiko in the national spotlight and he became a sensation. His faithfulness to his master’s memory impressed the Japanese as a spirit of family loyalty, which everyone should strive to achieve. Teachers and parents began to use his vigil as an example for children to follow. A sculpture was even rendered of Hachiko. All of these things helped to raise awareness of the Akita breed. Eventually, Hachiko’s faithfulness became a national symbol of loyalty, particularly to the person and institution of the Emperors. Tragically, Hachiko was found dead on March 8, 1935, on a street in Shibuya. The cause was unclear until 2011 when scientists determined that Hachiko had both terminal cancer and a filaria infection. His remains were cremated, and his ashes were buried in Tokyo next to his beloved master, Ueno. The original statue that had been erected in 1934 was recycled for the war effort in WWII. A new statue was built in 1948 and still stands as a popular meeting spot. The entrance near the statue was renamed “Hachiko-guchi” in his honor.
Meanwhile, on the 78th floor, Roselle was asleep under her owner’s desk when the attack began. After Flight 11 crashed several stories above them, Roselle calmly helped her owner, Michael Hingson, to the stairwell despite the noise, smoke, and chaos. She led her owner and 30 others down the stairwell, passing the ascending firemen about halfway down. The descent took about an hour, after which they emerged safely from the tower. Just thereafter, Tower 2 collapsed, scattering dust and debris. Yet Roselle remained calm and steadfast, utterly focused on her job and her owner. She led her owner to a nearby subway station, where they helped a woman blinded by debris. Once they made it home, Roselle began to play with her doggy buddy, Linnie, as if nothing catastrophic had happened. On March 5, 2002, the pair were awarded a joint Dickin Medal (which is referred to as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross) by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals. This was only the second time this had happened, the first time being to a pair of Boxers in 1946. Their citation read, “For remaining loyally at the side of their blind owners, courageously leading them down more than 70 floors of the World Trade Center and to a place of safety following the terrorist attack on New York on September 11, 2001.” The pair was also awarded a “Partners in Courage” award by the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Association. Roselle was posthumously named American Hero Dog of the Year in 2011 by the American Humane Society. These two amazing dogs will forever be remembered as two dog heroes of 9/11.
wandering the streets of Moscow. She was a mutt of about three years of age. Her true pedigree is unknown, although it is generally accepted that she was part Husky or other Nordic breed and possibly part Terrier. Scientists chose strays because they assumed that such animals had already learned to endure harsh conditions, such as hunger and extreme cold. She was given several nicknames, such as Kudryavka (Little Curly), Zhuchka (Little Bug), and Limonchik (Little Lemon), but the name Laika was popularized worldwide. The American press dubbed her Muttnik. Laika was trained with two other dogs, Albina and Mushka. At the time of the mission, little was known about the effects of space flight on living creatures. Like any experiment, tests were done on animals before humans, and Laika was just such an animal. Engineers viewed this as a necessary precursor to human missions. The experiment that saw Laika in space aimed to prove that a living organism could survive being launched into orbit and continue to function under weakened gravity and increased radiation, providing scientists with some of the first data on the biological effects of spaceflight. The dogs were put under less than comfortable conditions as part of their training. They were kept in progressively smaller cages for periods of up to 20 days. This extensive confinement caused them to stop urinating or defecating, made them restless, and made their overall condition deteriorate. They were placed in centrifuges that simulated the acceleration of a rocket launch and machines that mimicked the noises of the spacecraft. This made their pulses double and their blood pressure increased dramatically. Sadly, Laika was never expected to survive. Laika was chosen as the “flight dog” to contribute to science on a one-way mission to space. Albina was Laika’s backup, and Mushka stayed on the ground to act as a control. One of the technicians later stated, “Before closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing that she would not survive the flight.” For years, the Soviet Union gave conflicting reports about her death, stating that she had died from asphyxia when the batteries
3. Salty and Roselle - Labrador Retriever
Salty and Roselle were two guide dogs who were with their owners in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. Salty was on the 71st floor of Tower 1 with his owner, Omar Rivera. The entire time, Salty faithfully remained by his owner’s side despite the efforts of coworkers trying to be helpful by taking the leash. Together with Rivera’s supervisor, Salty led his owner to safety.
4. Laika - Husky
Can you imagine a homeless person being asked to go to space? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Laika! She was a Soviet space dog who was the first to orbit the Earth on November 3, 1957, aboard the Sputnik 2. Laika was found as a stray
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 34
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