[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CAPTAIN SCOTT SHIELDS, HIS GOLDEN RETRIEVER, BEAR, AND ALL OF THE BRAVE 
             RESCUE DOGS WHO SERVED DURING THE 9/11 TRAGEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 7, 2004

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of 
Captain Scott Shields, his golden retriever, Bear and the more than 300 
dogs that served our country at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon 
after the September 11th terrorist attacks. On that fateful morning, 
Captain Shields and Bear answered the call for assistance at the World 
Trade Center and were one of the first search and rescue teams to enter 
the devastated area. Bear and other highly-trained rescue dogs spent 
the next few days searching in extremely dangerous conditions for those 
who lost their lives in the attacks.
  Scott Shields raised Bear in Westport, Connecticut, where there were 
no leash laws. As a result, Bear quickly learned to be comfortable 
maneuvering and taking direction ``off leash.'' In addition to his 
regular search training, Captain Shields also took Bear to parks, 
beaches and even obstacle courses to continue his instruction. This 
preparation proved remarkably useful on the morning of September 11. 
Trained in disaster management, Captain Shields felt compelled to 
respond to the disaster and he and Bear drove to what the world would 
soon recognize as Ground Zero. Captain Shields and Bear entered the 
disaster site shortly after the second Trade Center tower collapsed to 
search for those who might have been trapped in the wreckage. Later 
that day, Captain Shields organized harbor activities, directing boats 
to transport emergency workers to the Trade Center site.
  Bear and his fellow rescue dogs worked in very harsh conditions 
without the benefits of protective clothing and gas masks. They climbed 
through piles of debris and squeezed through tunnels of steel and 
concrete in their attempts to find any signs of human life.
  While working in these dangerous conditions, many dogs, including 
Bear, were injured. Captain Shields and Bear were walking along a steel 
beam when a piece of twisted metal gouged Bear's back. Although the 
gash was deep, Bear kept working. Several months later, however, Bear 
developed a form of skin cancer around the perimeter of the wound. A 
veterinarian successfully removed the infected tissue, but from then 
on, Bear's health declined. Bear passed away on September 23, 2002; the 
following month, hundreds of mourners gathered at his memorial service 
aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.
  In Bear's memory, Captain Shields, along with the New York law firm 
Proskauer Rose, established the Bear Search and Rescue Foundation to 
ensure that all dogs who participated in search and rescue operations 
at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon receive appropriate health 
care. Additionally, the foundation works diligently to provide 
equipment and instruction to emergency response teams throughout the 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in honoring Bear, 
Scott Shields and the hundreds of search and rescue teams who served 
our nation so bravely on September 11th. To these heroes, I offer my 
continuing respect, admiration and support.

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