9/11 rescue dog Bretagne treated to a hero's welcome in New York

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Golden retriever Bretagne was among 100 dogs working at Ground Zero
Was her first rescue mission along with trainer and owner Denise Corliss
Pair worked 12 hour days with only four hours of sleep to find survivors
Ms Corliss said Bretagne provided emotional support during hard times
Duo returned to New York today to celebrate her 16th birthday

By Chris Pleasance For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:45 EST, 11 September 2015 | Updated: 16:59 EST, 11 September 2015

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When the Twin Towers came crashing down on to Manhattan 14 years ago today, heroes came in all shapes and sizes.

From the emergency workers who tried to help those caught up in the disaster, to the dogs who worked around the clock to sniff survivors from the rubble.

And now the last-known dog to have worked that day, a 16-year-old golden retriever called Bretagne, has returned to New York to celebrate her 16th birthday.

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Golden retriever Bretagne, now aged 16 and thought to be the last surviving dog to have worked on 9/11, was welcomed back to New York today on the 14th anniversary of the terror attacks

Bretagne was treated to a hero's welcome along with owner Denise Corliss and was given a dog-friendly cake to help her celebrate her 16th birthday, which takes place this weekend

Bretagne was only two years old and had never taken part in a rescue operation before when she Ms Corliss were deployed to New York a week after the terror attack (pictured, Bretagne enjoys birthday treats)

Denise Corliss, Bretagne's owner and handler, was treated to a hero's welcome at LaGuardia Airport in New York, before being taken to 1 Hotel Central Park courtesy of BarkPost.

There, Bretagne was given treats and a birthday cake to help her celebrate her 16th birthday, before the pair made their way back to Ground zero.

Ms Corliss told how her canine companion was just two when they were sent from the Texas Task Force to relieve the first responders at the World Trade Center.

The mission was Bretagne's first ever deployment, but Ms Corliss said she took to it perfectly, despite working 12 hours days in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.

Mc Corliss said that at first, the scale of the disaster overwhelmed her, but Bretagne just looked eager to work, and so helped her get on with what needed to be done.

Scrambling over heaps of twisted metal and concrete, at first it was their job to try and find survivors who were trapped when the towers came down.

However, after several days their job turned from rescue to recovery, and that's when Ms Corliss said Bretagne really came into her own.

She told the New York Daily News: 'I was just so grateful to have a canine partner that helped me get through it.'

Ms Corliss and Bretagne were sent to relieve the first responders to 9/11, and worked 12 hour days sleeping just four hours per night in order to try and save people

Ms Corliss said that despite the tragedy of the situation, Bretagne was always on hand to help her get through the work, and even managed to bring a smile to the faces of firefighters numb with shock

Cindy Otto, a vet who cared for more than 100 dogs who worked at Ground Zero, added: 'You'd see firefighters sitting there, unanimated, stone-faced, no emotion, and then they'd see a dog and break out into a smile.

'Those dogs brought the power of hope. They removed the gloom for just an instant.'

Ms Corliss bought Bretagne in 1999 after she was asked to take part in a training exercise for search and rescue dogs.

She said workers buried her underneath rubble for an hour before sending the dogs to find her, and she will always remember the relief she felt when she heard one of them barking above her.

After that, she decided to buy Bretagne and began training her to do the job. Within a couple of years they were deemed good enough to be assigned to Texas Task Force 1, and were put on a responders list in case of a national emergency.

A week after 9/11, they were sent to New York, where they worked tirelessly to help, often getting as little as four hours of sleep per night.

Today, on the 14th anniversary of the attacks, Bretagne returned to New York where she was given a hero's welcome (pictured, she visits Ground Zero on 9/11 last year)

Ms Corliss and Bretagne were treated to a stay in 1 Hotel Central Park, while Bretagne was also given treats and a dog-friendly cake to celebrate her 16th birthday

After doing all they could, the pair returned home, but have since been involved in rescues following Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ivan.

Bretagne, who is now more than 100 in human years, retired from rescue work six years ago, but still works in elementary schools as a therapy dog.

During her trip to New York she was treated to a ride in a limo and a vintage New York taxi, as well as a trip to Times Square where her name was put up on one of the billboards.

She was then taken to the dog park where she was presented with the 'Bone to the Park' - a charm from Tiffany & Co.

They also had a cobblestone on the grounds of the 9/11 Memorial dedicated to them, thanking them for their service.

Hotel 1 also donated $1,000 to Texas Task Force 1 to help train dogs like Bretagne.