 In times of stress and strain,
Nikie the golden retriever is the best friend the workers at
Ground Zero have.
Nikie, the only therapy dog certified to work at the World
Trade Centre site, regularly makes the rounds of the site with
his handler, Frank Shane.
Since September 11, Nikie and Mr Shane have enabled hundreds
of construction labourers and rescue workers to talk about the
extraordinary stress of working at Ground Zero, and the
pressure it puts on their lives.
Kneeling to pet Nikie, they talk about broken marriages,
unpaid bills, and childhood memories.
One man who works in the morgue talked for nearly an hour when
many remains were found. “There’s a special spot, I believe
that an animal transports you back to a child,” said Shane,
54, founder of the non-profit K-9 Disaster Relief.
“In a disaster setting where your whole world has turned
upside down and your trust wiped out, here comes an animal
that psychologically transports you back to a period where you
felt safe.”
Nikie, 7, went through obedience training as a puppy and
learned other skills necessary for a therapy dog, such as how
to remain calm amid commotion and how to let people approach
him rather than sniffing strangers. Before September 11 he
worked mostly in hospitals.
Several therapy dogs were stationed at the city’s family
assistance centres to comfort victims’ relatives after the
attack. But few animals have the training and personality to
endure long hours in the cold and the constant clanging of
Ground Zero.
Source :
The Courier Mail, 7 February 2002
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