A first responder who worked at Ground Zero and has struggled with anxiety in the decades since received a service dog from Paws of War.
The presentation, reported by CBS News, came from Paws of War.
The dog presented to the responder was a service dog.
A 25th Anniversary With Deep Local Stakes
The timing lands squarely within the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a milestone Paws of War has used this month to spotlight ongoing service dog placements built specifically for Ground Zero first responders living with severe anxiety, sensory triggers, and lingering psychological trauma. Responders have described continuing mental-health effects decades after Ground Zero.
The nonprofit has told this story before with a different face. Former FDNY firefighter Kevin Kelly, who spent months recovering remains at Ground Zero and developed PTSD, anxiety, and depression, was paired in 2022 with a service Lab named Tiller through Paws of War to help interrupt panic attacks and ground him during flashbacks. First responders in the program participate in ongoing weekly training sessions meant to maintain discipline and build peer support, per the same account.
Care for 9/11-Related Conditions
Several World Trade Center Health Program clinical centers are in metropolitan New York, and a Rutgers center serves New York and New Jersey, according to Word In Black. The program provides no-cost treatment for certified WTC-related physical and mental health conditions.
The World Trade Center Health Program treats conditions including PTSD among 9/11 responders and survivors.
What the Science Says About Service Dogs
A 2024 clinical trial compared military veterans paired with psychiatric service dogs with a wait-listed control group.
The trial found that military veterans paired with trained service dogs had 66% lower odds of a PTSD diagnosis than veterans in a wait-listed control group, according to VA News. Led by University of Arizona researchers, the study was described as the largest national study to date.
Paws of War's Role in the Pairing
Paws of War provided the service dog.
Hoodline previously reported on a similar pairing this year, when Celeste Henry-Kemper, a former National Guard worker who developed PTSD, was paired with a poodle named Titan in 2024. The presentation adds another service-dog pairing.
