Sept. 11 & Katrina rescue dog dies of cancer

[wicket]

LINK

A black Labrador that burrowed through smoking debris after Sept. 11 and flooded rubble after Hurricane Katrina in search of survivors has died of cancer.

Owner Mary Flood had 12-year-old Jake put to sleep Wednesday after a last stroll through the fields and a dip in the creek near their home in Oakley, Utah. Flood said Jake had been in pain, shaking with a 105-degree fever as he lay on the lawn.

No one can say whether the dog would have gotten sick if he hadn't been exposed to the toxic air at the World Trade Center, but cancer in dogs Jake's age is common.

Some owners of rescue dogs who worked at ground zero claim their animals have died because of their work there. But scientists who have spent years studying the health of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue dogs have found no sign of major illness in the animals.

Many human ground zero workers have complained of health problems they attribute to their time at the site: the largest study conducted of about 20,000 ground zero workers reported last year that 70 percent of patients suffer respiratory disease years after the cleanup.

The city earlier this year added to its Sept. 11 death toll a woman who died in 2002 of lung disease, five months after she was caught in the dust cloud of the collapsing twin towers.

The results of an autopsy on Jake's body will be part of a medical study on the Sept. 11 dogs that was started by the University of Pennsylvania more than 5 years ago.

:cry:

[Virginia Dare]

1. Rest In Peace Jakey boy...

:cry:

[wicket]

5. Amen

:cry:

[Botany]

2. Lots of dogs @ 12 get cancer

No doubt his exposure @ ground zero didn't help but 12 is equal to
84 years in humans ..... Jake had a great run

Ground zero
Katrina
"buddy work" with seniors, kids, and burn victims.

**********************************

I still remember driving my "Mac" to the vet for the last time ..... we stopped and got burgers.

[wicket]

7. My parents had to put our Dukey down right after the 2004 election

He was a black lad/great dane mix. One huge dog, and he had a heart of gold. It really sucked :cry:

He really liked to "help" with the maple sugaring ;)

[Botany]

8. maple sugar & syrup

Speaking of which do your folks have any more?

************************************************

I have a new lab now but Mac was a great dog .... loyal, friendly, smart, and very protective too.

March 21, 2002 that was one tough drive. But the greatest gift we can give our buddies is to stop
thier pain.

**************************************

[wicket]

10. They certainly do Botany

I snagged some when I was up there over the 4th :)

But the greatest gift we can give our buddies is to stop
thier pain.

I'll drink to that :toast: Though I'm going to be a total wreck when our kitties go. Hopefully not for many years...

[Virginia Dare]

9. My big black boy got an intestinal tumor at 12...

we never found out if it was cancer or not, he had a stroke and passed before the biopsy came back, but we assume it was. Dogs don't live nearly long enough..

:cry:

[woodsprite]

3. I so feel for Jake's owner. But at 12yr old for a big dog, that's

about their life span - maybe 14 if they're in peak health. We're living week to week with my 8yo big dog (shephard/husky mix). She was diagnosed with lung cancer in March, almost a year to the day we adopted her from the rescue organization. He said it was large and had been there for quite awhile, then he asked if her previous owner had a smoking household. We hope to take her on one last camping trip to the beach this summer (knowing where all the vets are on the way) and see how long we can keep her happy and comfortable after that.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. From the article.

"Some owners of rescue dogs who worked at ground zero claim their animals have died because of their work there. But scientists who have spent years studying the health of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue dogs have found no sign of major illness in the animals."

I have heard about many 9/11 rescue dogs dying and this article disturbs me because the reporter isn't specific as to who these scientists are or what organization they're with.

[LeftishBrit]

6. RIP Jake