Doggedly Determined
The 2003 Guinness Book of World Records declared him the "most celebrated dog in the world." Bear, an eleven-year old Golden Retriever, made a career of search and rescue.
Bear's first rescue was at the age of eighteen months when, as a puppy, he leapt off the side of a boat to save a boy who was drowning. From then on, he traveled the world, working search and rescue missions with his human partner, Captain Scott Shields. Adept at finding missing persons, Bear understood commands in Spanish and English, as well as traditional hand commands. On September 11, 2001, his skills were put to the test.
Bear and Captain Shields arrived at the World Trade Center just 38 minutes after the second plane crashed into the Twin Towers. Bear was the first dog to arrive on the scene, and went straight to work in the midst of the disaster. According to firemen on the scene, Bear was the only search-and-rescue dog working the entire west side of the site; on his own for six or seven hours following the tragedy. In those first crucial days of rescue efforts, Bear worked an exhausting eighteen hours a day searching for survivors, often being hoisted into holes filled with rubble, glass and metal. Bear's instincts for knowing where to search were impeccable.
Although records were kept of Bear's finds, it is impossible to make an estimate of the impact of his work in the area. As Captain Shields said, "How do you count the pieces?" However, it is believed that Bear had the most finds- human or canine- of any rescue worker who searched the area. Bear was also the only rescue dog to find survivors, as well as recovering the remains of NYC Fire Chief Peter Canci.
Unfortunately, Bear’s valiant efforts did not leave him untouched.
The long hours and hard work took their toll. Bear's back was injured by a jagged piece of metal on his first night on the job but, after being treated at the site, he went right back to work. Later, the area around this wound became cancerous, and Bear’s weight dropped from 110 pounds to 64 pounds. Although Bear eventually recovered from this illness, it inspired Captain Shields to lead a campaign to insure all the Search and Rescue dogs, resulting in the founding of the Bear Search and Rescue Foundation.
Top Dog
In all, Bear spent over a year working at the site, lifting spirits with his wagging tail and unflagging determination. For his contributions to the World Trade Center rescue effort, Bear received numerous awards and honors. He proudly led the Columbus Day Parade down Fifth Avenue in October of 2001 and, on November 17, 2001, Bear and Captain Shields were presented with "The Hero's Award" by the International Cat Society at the Westchester County Cat Show, something which Captain Shields said, "brought the first smile to my face since the incident, just the irony of the cats giving a dog an award."
Sadly, Bear passed away on September 23, 2002, less than two months before his thirteenth birthday. He had been suffering from multiple forms of cancer.
After his death, Bear was honored with a funeral as a New York City Firefighter. Two weeks later, the State Senate passed a proclamation making October 13th "Captain Scott Shields and Bear Day" in New York. On October 27, the USS Intrepid hosted a memorial service for Bear. Hundreds of people and several dozen dogs attended the ceremony.
Captain Shields took Bear’s ashes home, where he keeps them in a gold box inscribed with the words, “Bear Shields, Hero of the World Trade Center."
On September 11, 2004, Bear’s name was added to the wall of honor for those who died at the World Trade Center. It was a fitting tribute to a hero, but perhaps the best compliment that was paid to Bear is one which had come from a firefighter on the second afternoon at ground zero. He described how Bear was "phenomenal" and "amazing," working as hard as any human on the site and never hesitating to climb over burning rubble. "How much do you credit Bear with?" the firefighter was asked. His reply said it all… "Everything!"