Community Corner

Remembering 9/11: Laura Kressler

This Greenbelt veterinarian volunteered at Ground Zero in the days after 9/11.

In the aftermath of 9/11, veterinarian Laura Kressler found herself at Ground Zero, treating Urban Search and Rescue team dogs coming out of “the pile.”

A medical officer on Veterinary Medical Assistance Team 2, Kressler also ventured into the debris.

“You’d come out of the pile smelling like death and chemicals and gunk,” she said.

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Kressler’s night-shift work often kept her busy for 14 or 15 hours at a stretch.

As the animals came out of the pile, she would look for wounds, burns and cuts; she would then flush eyes and ears, bandage feet and shower and decontaminate them. Once, she removed jet fuel off a golden retriever that had fallen through the pile.

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During her two weeks in New York City, restaurants gave her free meals, and locals even forbid her to pay at the laundry mat.

Kressler admitted that previously she had considered the city's residents a cold, hard lot, but 9/11 changed her opinion. As she and workers drove into checkpoints, New Yorkers lined the streets, bearing large thank you signs.

“You knew that when they said thank you, they really meant it," she said.

This photo was created as part of a larger project in coordination with Action America to document how the country has been affected by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

See how you can become an Actionist and turn the events of 9/11 into positive action at www.ActionAmerica.com and look for more local coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on Patch.

How has 9/11 affected you in the last 10 years? Please share your post-9/11 remembrances with us in the comments section below.


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