Sirius, a four and a half year old yellow lab, was the only K9 killed in the September 11 attacks. Sirius was a member of the NY/NJ Port Authority Police Department and worked as an Explosives Detection Dog. He and his partner, Officer David Lim, were assigned to the Port Authority Police Station in the basement of the World Trade Center's Tower Two, where he worked checking trucks and vehicles for explosives. Sirius became a member of the PAPD after he graduated from the Port Newark K9 Center on 07/15/2000 and wore PAPD Badge #17.
As the attacks happened, Officer Lim put Sirius in his kennel in the basement of Tower Two, reassured Sirius that he would be back for him, and went to help. He never made it back to the basement for Sirius before the tower fell. Sirius' body was recovered on January 22, 2002. Upon his recovery, Sirius received full police honors including machines being silenced while everyone at Ground Zero lined up and saluted his body that had been draped with an American flag.
A memorial service for Sirius was held on April 24th, 2002 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey but his name isn't included on the recently completed and opened 9/11 Memorial. The names of 37 victims who worked at the Port Authority Police Department are included in the memorial, but not Sirius'. The memorial was contacted via the phone number on their website and when asked why Sirius' name was not included on the memorial, the foundation replied "The memorial is only for the human victims." Sirius was a first responder, a member of the PAPD, and quite possibly the first and only dog killed due to international terrorism.
We want to change the fact that Sirius has not been honored at the 9/11 memorial like all the other victims who died on 9/11. He was a brave dog who put his life on the line every time he did his job. Please help us honor his memory by urging the people who created this memorial to add one more name.
