Three years ago, Netherlands-based photographer Charlotte Dumas decided to embark on a photo project to capture the rescue dogs that served during 9/11.
The result of her work is a photo series titled ‘Retrieved’, where captures beautiful portraits of the dogs who served to find survivors in the rubble of the twin towers and the Pentagon on that dreadful day in U.S. history.
Dumas’ writes on her website: “These animals were all at the same place at the same time, one decade ago, for the same reason: to work, That experience unites them, and was the incentive for me to pursue this subject and to photograph the dogs."
Through these images, one can see the quiet dignity in the faces of these dogs. They may be retired now, but in the words of Dumas, these dogs “searched and comforted, they gave consolation to anyone involved. Seeing these pictures, I was also comforted. They somehow emanated a spark of hope amidst this scene of destruction."
Many of these dogs live all over the U.S., and Dumas managed to track 15 of them down with the help of FEMA.
See some of the portraits below:
[via Huffington Post]