Andy Stephenson, whose bomb-sniffing dog Sheila probably saved his life on 9/11
On September 11, 2001, Andy Stephenson was in New York City, working with his bomb-detecting dog Sheila to provide advance security screening before a UN conference.
Andy took Sheila to Central Park that morning. When he tried to leave, the normally-obedient dog wouldn’t go with him.
Sheila chased pigeons around the park, refusing to come when Andy called her. She would wait until he came near, and then race away.
After 15 minutes, Andy was finally able to get Sheila to come, and went back to his hotel. He then left with three other Marines to head for their destination: the World Trade Center.
They missed their subway and had to wait seven minutes for the next. By the time they finally reached the site, the first plane had already struck.
Andy’s wife, Crystal, also a Marine and six months pregnant with their daughter, was in South Carolina. As soon as Andy realized what was happening, he called to tell her he was okay.
Both Andy and Crystal re-enlisted a few weeks after that terrible day. Today, Crystal is in the National Guard and has served a tour of duty in Iraq, and Andy is a Louisiana State Trooper who works with a narcotics-detecting dog, Senda.
He still can’t explain Sheila’s behavior that morning in Central Park. “I don’t know what happened,” he said. “She’s never acted that way before, and she never acted that way again.”
We as humans call them “dumb animals”;they are only “dumb” only in that they do not speak human. Sheila could sense trouble and knew the only way to save you was to keep you in the park. I would call her a hero of 9/11. God bless all humans and canines who perished in or because of the terrorist attacks on that day.