9/11 rescue dog celebrates 16th birthday in New York City

A 16-year-old 9/11 rescue dog recently had a birthday celebration that dog dreams are made of in New York City.

Bretagne and her owner, Denise Corliss, were part of Texas Task Force 1.They were deployed to New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, and worked with scores of other search and rescue teams to find people trapped beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center.

Believed to be the last living search and rescue dog from Ground Zero, Bretagne was given the celebration of a lifetime, by BarkPost, the publishing arm of Bark & Co.

Bretagne and her family were flown to New York from Texas on Aug. 22 to celebrate her birthday, which is actually Aug. 25, Laura Hartle, creative producer for BarkPost Video, told USA TODAY Network in an email.

"Bretagne's story really hit home for BarkPost since we are based in New York. To be able to have the chance to thank one of the dogs who helped our city when we needed it most was an unforgettable experience," Hartle said.

During her day-long celebration, Bretagne ate a gourmet cheeseburger, played with toys and explored the city in a vintage taxi during her all-expenses-paid trip. BarkPost uploaded a video of the epic birthday bash on YouTube on Sept. 9. As of Friday, the video had over 200,000 views.

Bretagne was part of nearly 100 search and rescue dogs that worked in recovery and rescue following the terror attacks, according to Bark Post.

Corliss told WABC-TV that despite the chaos of 9/11, Bretagne stayed focused.

"When our task force arrived in Ground Zero, I just couldn't believe the magnitude," Corliss told WABC. "And I looked down at her, and she seemed stoic and ready to work."

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