[photo credit]

A new book is set for publication on October 31, 2011, that highlights the achievements of service dogs that aided in the rescue efforts of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

From the Daily Mail:

Travelling across nine states in the U.S. from Texas to Maryland, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade on from 9/11.

The book is available for pre-order from Amazon. The book description states:

Immediately following the attacks of 9/11, nearly 100 trained search dogs and their handlers–enlisted from 18 U.S. states–were deployed by FEMA to join the rescue efforts at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Alongside firemen and other teams sorting through the debris, the dogs worked tirelessly around the clock to locate survivors in the rubble–images of which intrigued Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas as the events unfolded in the media. One decade later, discovering that only 15 of these dogs were still alive, Dumas succeeded in tracking each of them down, visiting and photographing the dogs at their homes throughout the U.S., where they all still live with their handlers. Composed at close range in natural light, Dumas’ portraits–reproduced here in a thoughtfully designed paperback volume with Japanese binding–offer an intimate view into the everyday lives of these animals, now sharing the vulnerability of old age as they once pursued a common heroic goal.

You can view an album on Facebook depicting more of the service animals here.