He's was an unconventional hero but a hero nonetheless. Jake, a courageous black lab who spent the days following 9/11 burrowing through smoking debris to find survivors has died of cancer at the age of 12, after one last walk with his owner, Mary Flood. Jake was bred trained to be a rescue dog -- he himself was rescued from the streets where he had been abandoned with a broken leg and a dislocated hip. But regardless, he proved himself as a hero when the world changed at the blink of an eye.
Though 9/11 has been linked to a rare form of cancer, it's thought that the reason for Jake's diagnosis and death was simply old age.
1. My deepest sympathy goes out to the owner's of Jake. He was a true hero. He put his life in danger on 9/11 to rescue people. And know it appears that he has paid a very high price for his heroism, his life. I just recently have lost my four legged son and "best friend" to cancer, on 8/31/07. I don't know if his owners will see this but I hope that you do. I know what you are feeling. I feel like my heart literally aches and that it has been ripped out of my chest. I also feel like I have been kicked in the stomach and that there is a huge void that can't be filled.
With My Deepest Sympathy
Posted at 7:41PM on Sep 6th 2007 by Elizabeth Sands