“A few days after the towers fallen scene, when Rogers was eventually able to leave the house, he managed towards ground zero with his cameras. Rogers got as close as he could, which was a tent on West Street someplace near Chambers Avenue, set up by Veterinary Medical Assistance Team.
This mission was the first time Veterinary Medical Assistance Team had been assigned by the US federal government. Their task was to maintain the health service dogs canvassing the missing area.
Above the two days that Rogers spent time with them, he met rescue dogs and handlers that had come from all around the country. Rogers remembers how gloomy the men & women and their dogs were when they arrived out of “the pile”. There was a conversation about the dogs becoming stressed because dogs were not able to find any survivors.
One of the handlers that Rogers met, Erick Robertson woke up on 9-11. Then he got in the car with his rescue dog(Pork-chop) and drove throughout the country from California to support in the search. Rogers reconnected with Erick this summer.
He informed that the last of the rescue dogs from 9/11 had recently gone. Eric’s dog had been gone for a few years now. Erick, himself, had survived cancer. Now, he is involved with organizing a show at the memorial in honor of the rescue dogs.
At this time of the swell division in our country, it is good to memorize the unity in those days and years after, especially in New York City. Now he is reminding this-how they came together, as a city and one country, like real Americans. he woke up thinking about the words of Mr. Rogers, “My mom will say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping others.’ To this day, particularly in times of tragedy.
He remembers his mother’s words, and he is always heartened by realizing that there are still so many people helping others— so many caring people in this beautiful world.”
