Last week marked the seventeenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and millions of Americans took the time to remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the tragedy.

Many of the victims were rescue workers who gave their lives to save others. While it’s important to remember these heroes, it’s also important to honor the non-human rescue workers who worked tirelessly that day to do whatever they could to help.

Meet Bretagne, the last rescue dog of 9/11 who tragically passed away in 2016 at the age of 16.

Bretagne was bought by Denise Corliss in 1999, and together, they joined the proud ranks of Texas Task Force 1, a search and rescue group that was trained to search through rubble.

Denise and Bretagne were prepared to work a hurricane season, but 9/11 changed their plans dramatically. Instead, they were sent to New York City to help with the aftermath of the attacks.

Denise was overwhelmed when she saw the result of the attacks, but Bretagne knew her job and knew her duties. Denise and Bretagne got to work and began a wild search for any survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

An estimated 300 other search and rescue dogs worked tirelessly in the weeks after 9/11. Not only did they help find survivors, their mere presence brought smiles to the faces of the firemen, first responders, and rescue workers who had nothing to smile about in those horrible times.

After concluding her work in New York, Bretagne helped in the aftermath of many other disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ivan.

After she retired, Bretagne enjoyed a quiet life with Denise, who said that the dog still enjoyed “searching” for things in the house.

Bretagne passed away just before her 17th birthday after she stopped eating and her kidneys started to fail.

Denise made the difficult decision to have Bretagne put down so that she would no longer be in pain. When they got to the veterinarian’s office, they were met by an amazing sight.

Firefighters had come together to honor Bretagne in one of the most emotional farewells you could ever see. Denise broke down in tears when she saw what was happening.

Denise, we are sorry for your loss, and we want to thank you and Bretagne for your service.

Find out more about this emotional story in the video below!