The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (AKC CHF) and the AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR) are continuing their efforts to fund studies to determine the long-term impacts on dogs who assisted with the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center and Pentagon following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 

The organizations are contributing a combined total of $125,000 to continue monitoring the dogs’ progress. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have been monitoring the health of 97 dogs who participated in rescue and recovery efforts alongside a group of 55 control dogs.

“The large deployments of search and rescue dogs at both the World Trade Center and Pentagon sites raised significant questions about the effects on the dogs’ health,” said Tom Sharp, vice president and CEO of AKC CAR. “So it’s vital that we continue funding for these important studies.”

To date, no clinically obvious differences between these dogs and the control dogs have been found. To evaluate the rate and onset of health or behavior problems, researchers say it is essential to continue monitoring these dogs throughout their natural lifespan.