We have a lot of fun here at Paws…and Give Thanks, with photo caption contests and howlarious videos. But I’d like to take a moment and share another video on a more serious note.

As we begin this emotional weekend, which marks the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, I came across this unique tribute to our fearless canine friends, who helped with the painful and heartbreaking rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. As the video below states, many of the rescue workers called the site “hell on earth.” The dogs, however, just went to work. In addition to working tirelessly, they offered immeasurable emotional support to the humans who were mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted from the weeks and weeks of clean-up efforts.

The video below can describe the scene and the role of these hero dogs much better than I can. Grab the tissues, if you’re anything like me…