16 year old rescue dog given guard of honour before burial in US.

In September 2001, amid the twisted pile of steel beams, concrete and ash where the World Trade Center once stood, 300 or so search dogs worked long hours and used their powerful noses to try to find survivors.see more pictures


On Monday afternoon, the last of those search dogs died at age 16 with her longtime handler and best friend by her side.


Denise Corliss is pictured with her search dog Bretagne at Ground Zero in New York City in September 2001. It was their first deployment together.

Bretagne (pronounced "Brittany"), a whip-smart golden retriever with feathery fur and a sunny smile, lived an adventure-packed life until the very end. In recent weeks, though, she began experiencing kidney failure and slowing down. When Bretagne failed to do her favorite thing for three consecutive days — eat — her owner Denise Corliss realized it was time to say goodbye.

"She was really anxious on sunday night and she just wanted to be with me," Corliss told TODAY on Monday. "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."







RIP Bret.