Humane Heroism: Remembering Sept. 11

Few will ever forget that terrible day, 10 years ago, when countless lives were changed forever. Here at the ASPCA, the events of September 11 were devastating not only because of the tragedy that occurred in our hometown , but because they were such an extreme affront to the humane principles of compassion and kindness on which our organization was founded.

Knowing many animals were likely affected by the disaster, we sprang into action. ASPCA volunteers and staff immediately prepared to rescue orphaned pets in lower Manhattan. We set up two mobile veterinary units to provide medical care for thousands of lost animals. ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents worked nonstop to retrieve stranded pets and reunite them with their parents. Even our President and CEO at the time, Dr. Larry Hawk, who lost his sister, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, rolled up his sleeves to offer support through his grief.

These initial efforts and the overwhelming generosity of the public were a harbinger of things to come. In the weeks following 9/11, our volunteer applications, which averaged 60 to 80 per month, swelled to 5,000, and more than 100 organizations across the country offered to send supplies, food and funds.

Today, that generous spirit lives on. It lives in the smaller actions we take every single day to assist those who need us. This innate selflessness serves as a powerful reminder that, despite the terrible actions taken by a few on September 11, humankind’s impulse to reach out and help people and animals in need will, in the end, emerge triumphant.