Following the horrific terror attacks of September 11, thousands of search and rescue workers descended upon New York.
Firefighters, police and volunteers all began the difficult task of looking for survivors among impossible odds. Joining in on the search were an estimated 300 dogs.
On Monday, the last surviving 9/11 Ground Zero search and rescue dog, Bretagne, died at the age of 16.
Denise Corliss, Bretagne's owner, friend and partner, told TODAY Bretagne had stopped eating in recent days. Of her last night, Corliss said,
She was really anxious last night and she just wanted to be with me. So I laid down with her, right next to her. When she could feel me, she could settle down and go to sleep. I slept with her like that all night.
Corliss and her husband took Bretagne to the vet and said goodbye.
Beyond her courageous service alongside her partner on 9/11, Bretagne and Corliss also worked as a search team in response to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and other disasters.
But, even after death, Bretagne will continue to serve her country and other furry friends. Bretagne will undergo an autopsy as part of a long-running study of 9/11 search dogs at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Bretagne will be missed and is without a doubt proof that all dogs most certainly go to Heaven.
Watch Bretagne's 2015 TODAY Show appearance below.
Citations: Never forget: Last 9/11 Ground Zero search dog dies just shy of 17th birthday (TODAY)
