Special Program Presentation at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center

The Human-Animal-Bond

Frank Shane is a recognized expert in dog psychology and the socialization of canines with their human companions. He is director of K-9 Disaster Relief, a humanitarian foundation and training Academy. Frank, along with his canine partner “Chance,” did a special presentation on February 12, 2012 at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center in New York City.  The one hour program offered personal stories about “Nikie,” the golden retriever who worked with him on Ground Zero for eight months. It featured photos and documentary footage of how the human-animal-bond helped the workers, volunteers and families cope in the aftermath of 9/11. A canine counselor and founder of the Canine Psychology Campus in New York State, Frank demonstrated his training techniques with Chance, an English Crème Retriever who just became certified as a Disaster Relief Canine. Chance was bred and born in Texas at Majestic Crème Retrievers.  The breeder, Thalia Porter, provided the initial human-animal-bond environment at her breeding facilities in Gainesville.

The demonstration with Chance offered those attending a first-hand observation to better understand that dog psychology and sociology is the cornerstone for a healthy and stable relationship. Frank emphasized that “training” is the wrong term and can be construed as harsh discipline rather than establishing a harmonious relationship . . . similar to a mom providing confident leadership to her pups.  The program Frank does across the country focuses on the special bond and unspoken relationship that exists between humans and animals. In his seminars and radio program, “The Talk of Animals” on the Animal Bond Radio Network, he says that it is the human who usually requires training.  “Dogs need to be understood as dogs, you can’t change their DNA. “  He uses the term “shaping” instead of training.  “Tap into their personality, develop their confidence and give them lots of praise.” As pups, he says, “It is the calm confident leadership of the mom that shapes their behavior.”  Frank and Nikie are featured in many books, including “HERO DOGS: Courageous Canines in Action,” and “9/11: Stories of Courage, Heroism and Generosity.”  He has appeared on most national radio and television/cable programs, including two episodes of Animal Planet.

The Program was recorded and will be on an upcoming episode for Animal Bond Radio and “The Talk of Animals”

The presentation at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center included his personal experiences from the books and documentaries.  The Tribute Center offers visitors to the World Trade Center site a place where they can connect with people from the September 11^th community. Visit their website at www.tributewtc.org.

For information about Frank Shane, personal appearances, lectures and workshops, the Human-Animal-Bond or Canine Disaster Relief Services email:  info@k-9disasterrelief.org  or their website: www.K-9DisasterRelief.org

 Frank  Shane  is founder of K-9 Disaster Relief, a non-profit humanitarian  foundation. He is a board certified trauma responder, canine counselor and Diplomat and Fellow of the Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Following his work on World Trade Center, Ground Zero, he published “CANINES IN CRISIS: Mitigating Traumatic Stress through Canine Crisis Intervention.” Books and news media include: “9/11: Stories of Courage, Heroism and Generosity,” “HERO DOGSs: Courage Canines in Action and The Wall Street Journal “Dog Therapy at Ground Zero”. Frank’s most recent appearance was on Animal Planet for the documentary “Hero Dogs of 9/11.” For Animal Bond Radio, he produces and hosts “The Talk of Animals,” a weekly talk program on the Human-Animal-Bond.

Frank is an instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and curriculum director for the K-9 Disaster Relief Academy and Canine Psychology Campus in upstate New York. He lectures and teaches courses in Canine Disaster Relief Services, the Human-Animal-Bond and the Psychology and Behavior of Dogs. As a professional canine counselor, Frank does personal training using his techniques of harmony and balance which promotes a special human-animal relationship.

A pioneer in the field of the utilization of canines for disaster crisis intervention, he and his canine partner Nikie were the only credentialed team to work on World Trade Center – Ground Zero for eight months. They provided canine crisis intervention to workers, volunteers and victim families. Through the foundation’s “K-9 for Kids” outreach program, K-9 Disaster Relief visited over 4,000 school children in all five boroughs of New York City. The program has now been expanded throughout the United States.

In 2001, Governor Pataki recognized K-9 Disaster Relief, Frank and Nikie for their relentless work both on Ground Zero and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. In the Executive Chamber, the Governor made a special presentation during which he said,

“K-9 Disaster Relief, Frank Shane and Nikie have positively assisted New York City firefighters, police officers, World Trade Center victims’ families, passenger relatives and children affected by the tragic events of September 11^th and Flight 587 – Nikie is truly proving to be a “man’s best friend.”

Nikie’s legacy will forever be protected and preserved. His service vests, boots, credentials, photos, mementoes and other artifacts are in the permanent collection of The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center. Through the donation and acquisition of these items, the curators and acquisition developers hope that displaying these objects will recognize and pay tribute to all the dogs that risked their lives to save others, and the canine compassionate care unconditionally given in our darkest hours.

Their work has been featured on NBC Nightly News, Fox News Live, CBS, ABC, CNN, PBS, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time and Newsweek.

Frank Shane was the first consultant and canine therapy services provider to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Department of Homeland Security’s outreach program for children – “Project Recovery.” Nationally, he collaborates with government and non-government agencies and disaster relief service providers. In his most recent appearance on Animal Planet, Frank summed up his humanitarian work:

“There’s a special spot, I believe, in everyone that an animal transports you back to a child,” He said, “In a disaster where a victims whole world has turned upside down and your trust is wiped out, here comes a loving and trusting dog that brings you back to a time where you feel safe and secure.”

After his work was completed on Ground Zero, Nikie and Frank continued in disaster relief servicesall over the country. Nikie passed away in 2004. His son, “Buddy,” continued his legacy until his untimely death on June 28, 2010. His new partner “Chance” is a creme retriever who just completed his training.  Talking about his acclaimed training methods he said,

“Training is easy! All dogs are good dogs . . . all they want is a confident human leader who provides trust, security and unconditional love.”

Frank Shane, a professional dog trainer and trauma therapist and CEO of the K-9 Disaster Relief Foundation, had to improvise when he brought his golden retriever, Nikie, down to Ground Zero. There was no protocol for anything—from the kind of footwear Nikie should wear to how Frank should deal with the unfathomable grief of 9/11. Yet from the moment Frank and his dog stepped onto the site, they both knew they had a job to do. As it turned out, a pair of soft ears and a wagging tail offered one of the best ways to connect to the people on the ground. The Unspoken Bond: The author, Frank Shane, and Nikie at a service at Ground Zero on June 2, 2002.

The Unspoken Bond: The Author, Frank Shane and Nikie at a memorial service on Ground Zero

Soon after the attacks, Nikie and I were walking around the Family Assistance Center when a woman made a beeline for us. Trained in crisis intervention, I had decided to bring Nikie to the Center at Pier 94, set up by the city to help families of the missing or dead, because I thought he might cheer up some of the kids whose parents were navigating this unbelievable tragedy.

The woman tackled Nikie and threw her arms around him. “Hello,” I said.

The woman didn’t respond, and she didn’t let go.

“What’s your name?” I tried again.

Nothing. Despite Nikie’s and my many experiences working with people in hospitals and trauma centers, we had never elicited this kind of emotion before.

A mental health worker came over and began to talk to the woman about the dog. When she finally did speak, the woman said she had a dog named Ginger. “My husband loved to throw a yellow ball to Ginger,” she said.

Slowly, the mental health worker discovered that the woman needed financial assistance because her husband, who was missing, was the breadwinner of the family.

In that moment, I recognized the power of an animal in making a human connection. I had learned about the incredible ability of dogs—and in particular Nikie—to communicate while working with him in a New Jersey brain trauma center years before 9/11.

Nikie, a majestic golden retriever, was smart and intuitive. But I didn’t know just how smart until I saw him in action at the trauma center. Nikie knew how to carefully step around the cords next to a patient’s bed. If a patient was alert, he approached for a scratch or some kind of contact. Often the connectivity between him and patients broke through obstacles that doctors and nurses couldn’t overcome.

The unspoken bond that animals can make with people is real, and I knew it could be helpful to those suffering after 9/11. Clearly this was not pet therapy at a nursing home. You were dealing with the raw nerves of a tragedy on a scale that no one had ever seen before. Nikie and I could be the bridge between the scared, confused or shut down and the resources that could help make them better.

Days later, I drove my jeep down Broadway, through armed police and military checkpoints, with Nikie beside me in the passenger seat. We were going to Ground Zero. We had the credentials but no idea if this was going to work. I had no protocol, no script.

As we headed south and the streets became deserted except for debris, the scene turned surreal. Manhattan looked like a war zone. I stopped the jeep near the Marriott Marquis because Church Street was obliterated. A Humvee with military troops holding M-16s blocked the beginning of the street. I asked them where I could park, and they looked at me like I was from a different planet.

“Anywhere you want.”

I looked at Nikie. As his handler, I had to be the leader of the pack, unafraid and in charge. This was obedience 101. If I got scared, I would transmit it directly to him. But I couldn’t mask my emotions; downtown New York was destroyed. So here we were, a guy and his dog.

I knelt down and put Nikie’s boots over his paws. Typically, he hates putting them on, but for the first time he didn’t fuss at all. That’s when I paused and looked at him.

What am I doing? Am I here just so I can say I was at Ground Zero?

We hadn’t gone more than a few feet when a firefighter approached us, got down on one knee and held Nikie. From that moment on, I didn’t have any doubt that we had important work to do at Ground Zero, even if I wasn’t sure what it would be.

Finally, the firefighter stood up and told me that my dog had the same color hair as his best friend and brother who had died in the attacks. The three of us started walking down Church Street, past the rest tent, talking the whole way. I didn’t know anything about firefighter culture. I didn’t realize “brother” is lingo for a fellow firefighter. And I didn’t understand how much emotion they had. Like a lot of other people, I just saw a uniform.

When we were about to part, he turned to us and said, “When will Nikie be on again?” I replied that we didn’t have a schedule.

“I would like to see him again,” he said. “Could you bring him over tomorrow night?”

I spent eight months at Ground Zero. Every day, Nikie and I were learning, adapting, and then learning and adapting some more.

I saw firsthand the tremendous toll that the rescue and recovery effort took on EMTs, iron workers, crane operators, firefighters and anyone else sifting through the debris. I didn’t approach them unless they were taking a break, and because the sense of urgency was so great, people didn’t stay in the rest areas for long. So I had to work quickly. With the lights on all the time and constant noise, day and night did not exist.

When they found remains, everything and everyone stopped. Once, when the remains of a firefighter were discovered, we stayed at the bottom of the pit after the body had gone up with bagpipes in tow. A firefighter leaned over Nikie, and he didn’t need to say a word. We walked with him to the top while a wind vortex blew papers around so it looked like it was snowing.

On the most superficial level, a guy with his dog offered a small break from the intensity. Folks would start talking to me after greeting Nikie, and I had to be a well-educated listener. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is let victims tell their story—you want to interject and console them. Instead I assessed: Some needed to know it was OK to take breaks, others needed more structured help and a referral. There were ways to solve problems and prevent them.

Credentialed with his picture, Nikie was a worker with full access to even restricted areas. Within a few weeks, I put together a veterinary protocol for Nikie that included putting talcum powder in his boots and weighing him every day. We would work eight-hour shifts on the site, but he always had his rest time. People became very protective of him. Soon I didn’t have to carry a collapsible bowl for Nikie to drink or eat. I always knew there was food for him wherever we went. We would take naps on the pews of St. Paul’s church. With his head on my stomach, he’d be snoring away.

The fabric of Ground Zero was made up of people from all walks of life, all colors, all religions, all jobs. You never heard anyone complain. There was a perfect bond of brotherhood that could never be replicated.

That’s why the hardest day for all of us was May 28, 2002, when we were set to leave the site. Despite the unbelievable achievement of this group—that they had cleaned up the site in much less time and for less money than thought possible—a family was literally coming apart. After the last steel beam was cut, workers would march up the ramp to West Street, and that would be that. As much as this was a place of destruction, it was difficult to imagine leaving it behind. One worker, picking up a few stones, said “I want to take something tangible home.”

That gave me an idea. A couple of days before the last beam was to be cut, I went over to Apollo Flag, a store in New Jersey, where I would buy Nikie’s trademark flag scarves that he wore around his neck. We had gone through close to 100 scarves since I gave them away as a token of people’s bond with Nikie. I asked a big guy named Gary, who was one of the owners, if he knew where I could get my hands on about 2,000 flags.

I told him about Nikie and me, our work at Ground Zero and the closing ceremonies. I wanted to get flags for all the workers, but I didn’t have money to pay for them.

“Don’t worry about that,” he said. “Just tell me how many flags you need.”

—Adapted from “9/11: Stories of Courage, Heroism and Generosity” (Zagat Survey), compiled by Tim Zagat.

K-9 Disaster Relief Foundation: www.K-9Disasterrelief.org

St. Paul's Chapel 9/11

Located directly across from the World Trade Center site – Ground Zero – St Paul’s Chapel , part of the Parish of Trinity Church, was home to an extraordinary eight-month relief effort after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. From September 2001 to May 2002, St. Paul’s, “the little chapel that stood” after September 11th” became home for firefighters, construction workers, police officers and others, including me and Nikie. They provided meals, beds, counseling, and prayer. Pews were a welcome spot to rest. In the Chapel there were medical personnel, disaster mental health, therapists, chiropractors, and even music . . . it transformed the chapel into a place of peace, rest and reconciliation.

I know that for me and Nikie, we could not have endured those eight months without this special place. Today, St. Paul’s plays a vital role in telling the 9/11 story. For me, and in memory of Nikie, this is a healing time and a time to look forward. It is also a time to say “thank you.”

There is no way to express in words my appreciation to everyone at St. Paul’s who opened their hearts and Chapel doors to provide an oasis and safe haven for the First Responders, Search and Recovery Teams, Handlers, Workers, Military, Police, Firefighters, Disaster Mental Health, and Volunteers. All of you gave so generously from September to the closing on May 30, 2002. Over those eight months, Nikie, my canine partner, became a kindred spirit to so many who worked and volunteered on Ground Zero. He even helped the clergy in the morgue after during recovery services. Nikie also helped victim families and the 9/11 children.

Cono Gallo

A young teacher from Brooklyn saw Nikie on Broadway in front of St. Paul’s. She thought he was hurt and rushed over. He was lying on his side getting his boots put on each paw. It was a daily ritual which started in September. Everyone joined in to help . . . even one time when new boots didn’t fit his large paws. Police Officers came over and took off their leather gloves. They adapted them to become boots so Nikie could traverse over the glass on Fulton Street and then walk by the cemetery to Ground Zero. Lisa was relieved that he was okay, and stroked his fur. She clutched a photo of her brother, Cono. I remember that victim families would place pictures and mementos on the fence that surrounded the church. Cono worked in the South Tower. Lisa spent tender moments with Nikie. There was an unspoken bond between them that lasted for years. Nikie was always very intuitive. From the time he met Lisa in front of St. Paul’s, there was a spiritual quality that grew deeper as he worked day-after-day. He enabled me to provided canine disaster relief on Ground Zero for eight months. We called it “stealth mental health.”

"Nikie"

Nikie was an accepted as an equal worker with a job. He had his own security photo I.D and could go anywhere on the  16 acres. Several weeks later, Lisa wrote a letter and simply addressed it to “Nikie Ground Zero.” She asked if Nikie would come visit her school in Brooklyn – - he was thrilled and loved children. The last time he went back to P.S. 132 before he passed away, the children drew pictures of him and wrote stories. They bound it in a book with colored string. There was a spontaneous gathering in the gym – - it was a celebration – for many, and for the first time, the children became children again, even the teachers and principal smiled and laughed. Nikie always seemed to make things better. It was the beginning of a very important healing process. The word spread about this special golden Retriever who wore a red working vest, a K-9 patch, and boots to protect his paws. Soon he visited schools in all five Boroughs of New York City. A teacher estimated that he visited over 4,000 children.

And it all started in front of St. Paul’s Chapel. Through Nikie I was empowered to help others deal with the grief of September 11th . . . and the gruesome work ahead. That was my job, and I didn’t want to intrude on others in the Chapel – - “they needed it more than me,” I told myself. Then there was a Friday night that would change my view of religion and the relationship with a higher power to this day. A priest named “Tom” came to T-Mort – the temporary morgue on Liberty Street. A gentile and frail man, he seemed out-of-place at the morgue. I had been going to the morgue with Nikie for months to help the clergy and Medical Examiners cope with unimaginable stress. I never once saw Tom there before – - he seemed uncomfortable and out-of-place.

WTC South Tower ~ View from Liberty Street

It was a very busy night with recoveries and remains. Every fragment and part examined and blessed. Prayers would be recited and we all knew the ritual and words. If identification was possible, families notified. Stephen welcomed the assistance of another clergy. I sensed that something wasn’t right. Overcome with emotion, Tom asked if he could go outside with Nikie. I gave him his lead and we all walked to a spot that would be safe. He silently watched firefighters sifting for remains under the South Tower. He tried to talk, but started to weep. Tom told me the reason why he came unannounced to the morgue. He had to see Ground Zero for himself. While holding Nikie’s lead, he told me that he couldn’t continue to do memorial services at his church. He thought that perhaps if he could see and understand the places where they perished it would give him a renewed purpose. Here I was with my dog listening to a priest in need of spiritual guidance. He felt that he let his parish down. With Nikie now at his feet, he said, “Sometimes people think that God takes care of priests and we don’t need help, but we’re human to.” As we walked down Church Street, Tom gave Nikie a blessing and a soft pat on the head.

It was now 5 AM and very cold. Nikie lost a boot. Salt got into his front paw. It was too far to walk back to the respite tent on West Street. We were both tired. I remembered what Tom said about God and being human, so headed to the Chapel. I woke about 7AM. It took me a few minutes to realize that I had been sleeping on a pew. Nikie was snoring away. A police officer volunteered to look after him while I got coffee and something to eat. So thanks to Father Tom, we were in St. Paul’s . . . a place of peace and tranquility. Ironically, other than the morgue, it was the only quiet place we could rest by ourselves. No one asked what we did; they only asked, “what do you need.”

As we left the chapel, Nikie’s lost red boot had been recovered and placed on a table by an EMT from T-Mort. He would often take Nikie for rides in the FDNY red “gator” while lying in an orange stokes basket. It looked like fun, but it was really an emergency exercise in case there was ever a medical emergency. He found the boot on Liberty Street by Ladder 10-10.

Nikie's photo in the Chapel

Once in a while, I think of Father Tom when walking my dog on bitter cold nights in the Adirondack’s. This past July I visited the chapel for the first time in ten years. I was with my new canine partner “Chance.” I was overjoyed  to see a beautiful picture of Nikie prominently displayed. It was taken at the last memorial ceremony on Ground Zero. Nikie was wearing his special memorial black working vest with the K-9 Disaster Relief patch and his signature American Flag neckerchief. (The black vest was worn for solemn occasions.) A military officer was bending over stroking his fur – reminiscent of Lisa Gallo. It affirmed to me that Nikie had special attributes. His spirit touched so many lives, including those at St. Paul’s. Thank you for your help during those dark days and cold nights.

And now, on this 10th anniversary of September 11th, thank you again for bringing so many people who worked on Ground Zero together again – - we’re a family bound together by unspoken words and a love and affection for each other. We move on, but never forget.

Lisa Gallo with her children at P.S. 132

Lisa still teaches in Brooklyn and is now married. She has two boys. One she named “Cono” in memory of her brother. The Police Officer in the chapel that night was Pat. We stay in touch and he has a son, Patrick, who will graduate from the NYPD Training Academy. The EMT who gave Nikie rides in his recovery “gator” still brags to this day about finding his boot in front of Ladder 10-10. He now lives upstate and has a Retriever. I see Father Tom on occasion. He blessed Nikie’s ashes in 2004. “Chance”  just turned one year old and is trained and ready to become a working canine like Nikie. This Saturday, September 10th, Chance will meet many of Nikie’s friends at a wonderful gathering hosted by St. Paul’s. On Sunday, September 11th he will follow in the paw prints of Nikie as we walk on Fulton Street to help victim families. And so we move on, not alone, but together as a family.

Article by: Frank T. Shane, CEO ~ K-9 Disaster Relief Foundation

http://www.trinitywallstreet.org
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http://www.k-9disasterrelief.org

K-9 “Chance” at Ground Zero Freedom Tower

Happy Birthday “Chance” – He was born one year ago on August 27, 2010. He began his training in Texas with Majestic Creme Retrievers in Gainsville. On December 1st flew in seat 31A on American Airlines to Newark, NJ. December 4th started his advance training in the Adirondacks. On February 13, 2011 he was at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center on Ground Zero to help with a presentation on canines and their work after 9/11. On July 13th this photo was taken of Chance in front of the Freedom Tower next to The National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center as part of a documentary for Animal Planet. On his birthday he was swimming in the Adirondacks with his canine friends. Monday, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, he begins his lifelong journey helping others cope with dispare during disasters. He will continue the legacy of Nikie and Buddy. Thank you – Heather Porter of Majestic Creme Retrievers in Texas  for getting Chance off to a good start. His dad, “Ex” and gentle and loving mom “Markeza. His seven brothers and sisters. His friend “Teddy” who taught him to swim. 

CDRS Course Certificate

K-9 Disaster Relief  through its training Academy offers courses in Canine Disaster Relief Services – - CDRS and Canine Crisis Intervention?

 K-9 Disaster Relief was started ten years ago. Over that period of time it has trained thousand individuals and organizations. Each year we receive hundreds of requests for information about the Foundation, Academy and courses. The FAQ page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions. For example,  What is the difference between Canine Disaster Relief Services and traditional Pet Assisted Therapy? Another common one is, What is the course curriculum and when and where are courses offered?

The FAQ page answers most questions, but most of all gets you on your way to working with your canine  and help those in critical need of crisis intervention.

Take a look at the FAQ  on the K-9 Disaster Relief web

Frank Shane & K-9 "Chance"

Frank T. Shane  is the founder and CEO of the K-9 Disaster Relief Foundation. He is a board certified trauma responder and Diplomat and Fellow of the Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He is past president of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists.  Following his work on World Trade Center, Ground Zero, he published “CANINES IN CRISIS: Mitigating Traumatic Stress through Canine Crisis Intervention.”

A Trauma Responder and Certified Canine Trauma Services Specialist, Frank is an instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. He is curriculum professor for the K-9 Disaster Relief Academy. He lectures and teaches courses in Canine Disaster Relief Services, the Human-Animal-Bond and the Psychology and Behavior of Dogs.  

A pioneer in the field of the utilization of canines for therapy and disaster crisis intervention, he and his canine partner Nikie were the only credentialed team to work on World Trade Center – Ground Zero for nine months. As a team they provided both mental health and crisis intervention to workers, volunteers and victim families. Through the Foundation’s “K-9 for Kids” outreach program, Frank and Nikie visited over 4,000 school children in all five boroughs of New York City.

In 2001, Governor Pataki recognized K-9 Disaster Relief, Frank and Nikie for their relentless work both on Ground Zero and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. In the Executive Chamber, the Governor made a special presentation during which he said, “K-9 Disaster Relief, Frank Shane and Nikie have positively assisted New York City firefighters, police officers, World Trade Center victims’ families, passenger relatives and children affected by the tragic events of September 11^th and Flight 587 on November 12^th - – Nikie is truly proving to be a “man’s best friend.”

Nikie’s legacy will forever be protected and preserved as his service vests, boots, credentials, photos, mementoes and other artifacts will be in the permanent collection of The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center. Through the donation and acquisition of these items, the curators and acquisition developers hope that displaying these objects will recognize and pay tribute to all the dogs that risked their lives to save others, and the canine compassionate care unconditionally given in our darkest hours.

 Their work has been featured on NBC Nightly News, Fox News Live, CBS, ABC, CNN, PBS, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, and the book “HERO DOGS: Courageous Canines in Action”.  For the 10^th Anniversary of the September 11^th attacks on the World Trade Centers, Frank’s work is being documented and celebrated in the book: “9/11:Stories of Courage, Heroism and Generosity.” Animal Planet has produced a documentary to be released in September ~ “Hero Dogs of 9/11”

Frank Shane was the first consultant and canine therapy services provider to FEMA/Department of Homeland Security’s outreach program for children – “Project Recovery.” Nationally, he collaborates with government and non-government agencies and disaster relief service providers. In an interview with CBS News, Frank summed up his humanitarian work: “There’s a special spot, I believe, in everyone that an animal transports you back to a child,” He said, “In a disaster where your whole world has turned upside down and your trust is wiped out, here comes a loving and trusting animal that brings you back to a time where you feel safe and secure.”

After their work was completed on Ground Zero, Nikie and Frank continued in disaster relief services all over the country. Nikie passed away in 2004. His son, “Buddy,” continued his legacy until his untimely death on June 28, 2010. Now in training is a creme retriever named, “Chance.”  According to Shane, “Chance teaches me something every day!” Talking about all his past canine partners – and now Chance, he said, “The Human-Animal Bond will never be broken as long as you’re a confident leader of the pack and provide unconditional love, trust and a kiss on the nose.”

K-9 Disaster Relief Speakers Bureau

Frank Shane can be contacted for speeches, keynote addresses and his lecture series on the Human-Animal-Bond. In production, and to be aired shortly, is the new alternative radio talk program: “K-9 Connection,” hosted weekly by Frank with guests talking about animals and the Human-Animal-Bond.  Air times and broadcast topics will be on the Blog, so subscribe today for updated information.

Contact Information and Photos:

K-9 Disaster Relief
551 Valley Road
Suite 179
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043

Telephone: 973-563-1291
Email: Info@K-9DisasterRelief.org
Web: www.K-9DisasterRelief.org

Hero Dogs of 9/11 is a one hour documentary produced by Dog Files, Starlight Runner Entertainment and kelencontent. Produced out of Canada, it is scheduled to be aired with international distribution. It was screened in the United States on September 10th.

The Exclusive and all-new documentary special tells the true stories of people who were saved by remarkable working dogs at Ground Zero. Hero Dogs of 9/11 goes behind-the-scenes of the infamous tragedy to see the never before seen stories that feature some of the unheralded canine heroes. 

The program is historic in many aspects – - Frank Shane, with Nikie,  was able to document eight months of personal and intimate contact with thousands of rescue, recovery, firefighters, police, uniformed services, volunteers and the men and women who not only saved lives, but did in nine months what most predicted would take years to accomplish. In a post-filming interview, Shane said, “ten years ago, Ground Zero was an apocalypse – it was “hell-on-earth,” but the dogs had jobs and just went to work. They were focused and fearless in their mission.”

Nikie passed away in April 2004. Today, all of the dogs of 9/11 have died who were on Ground Zero for more than a few weeks.  According to the producers of the documentary, “they leave a legacy and a story that needs to be told.”  The program will highlight the noble mission of those dogs and the positive impact they had on the dog world and mankind.

Reflecting on the filming, Shane said, “coming back to Ground Zero was very emotional, especially retracing the footsteps of Nikie.”   The production team wanted to include his new canine partner in training “Chance.” Almost a year old, Chance is a high achieving Crème Retriever who excels at new challenges.  During the filming in July, New York City hit record temperatures in the high 90′s. There were post-filming concerns about the extreme heat, plus the health, safety and security issues.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum made special arrangements to have the first interview take place inside the Museum. Frank said, “They were so kind and accommodating – - everyone went out of their way to provide a tranquil place.” The Memorial and Museum is directly across from where the south WTC tower stood. “Chance was by my feet during the filming of that segment. With his comforting presence, I was able to describe in vivid detail how Nikie was stoic and courageous.” Filming continued at and around Ground Zero over several days. “It was like a miracle,” Shane remarked. “temperatures and humidity dropped and it was very reminiscent of the abnormally cooler days after 9/11.”

The final interviews were done in St. Paul’s directly across from Ground Zero. The church had become a special respite and sanctuary for rescue and recovery workers. ”It was a long and tiring day of filming – - I was looking forward to seeing the church again and taking some private time to reflect.” Special permission was granted to film inside the church. Shane remembered, “On many nights we’d be tired and needed a place to rest. In the church I would rest on a pew and Nikie would snore away.”

Inside St. Paul’s, Frank walked towards the area, but instead of a pew, Nikie’s image appeared. He said, “I hadn’t realized that St. Paul’s was now more than a church.”  Over the past ten years, St. Paul’s had become a sacred place where visitors from all over the world could see artifacts and mementos, and most of all, learn firsthand about the courage of those who risked their lives to help others in our darkest days. “I was astonished to see Nikie’s image in the church.” As he stood back and watched, others looked at Nikie’s photograph. A stoic and courageous dog, he wore his vest, patch and American flag. The photo was taken during one of the last memorial ceremonies on Ground Zero. A soldier was saluting Nikie as a gesture of honor and gratitude.

Contact: Media Relations: Media@K-9DisasterRelief.org