Dog Names Meaning Forever

Apollo is the God of Healing and the son of Zeus and Leto. But, in the dog world, Apollo was the first search and rescue dog at the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. He was a German Shepherd who was employed by the New York Police Department and worked at many other operations with the police department. 

Born in 1992, Apollo didn’t end up with the police department until he was about two years old after he graduated from the NYPD Canine Special Operations Division. In fact, he was one of the first dogs that specialized in search and rescue. In 1997 he passed Type II training, and in 1999, he passed the Type I training, making him part of the K-9 team for the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 in New York. 

Apollo and his owner, Peter Davis, were called to help with the rescue operations on September 11 after the attacks of the World Trade Center just 15 minutes after the fall of the twin towers. Without all the protective equipment the humans had, Apollo fearlessly searched the rubble for survivors even after almost being killed by flaming debris. He only survived because he had just fallen in a pool of water right before the debris fell on him. Davis brushed the debris off Apollo, and they kept right on working to find survivors. 

According to those who worked alongside Apollo, he and the other search and rescue dogs had to be constantly praised and reassured because they were finding so few survivors. In fact, the dogs’ handlers would hide and pretend to be found and saved to keep their spirits up. Search and rescue dogs rely on that feeling of satisfaction and success that they get when they find someone alive and there just weren’t enough survivors to be found at the 9/11 site. 

Apollo was given the Dickin Medal, which is the dog equivalent of the Victoria Cross medal for humans. Apollo accepted the medal on behalf of all the search and rescue dogs who were at the 9/11 attack sites. He also received the American Kennel Club Ace award in 2001 and was honored for his work at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2002. This brave pooch was also responsible for many arrests in the NYPD and was one of the top dogs with the NYPD between 1994 and 2001. Apollo passed away in 2006 but will remain in our hearts furever.