Guide Dogs Salty and Roselle
On September 11, 2001, guide dogs Salty and Roselle were with their blind owners, Omar Rivera on the 71st floor and Michael Hingson on the 78th floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center in New York City, when the first hijacked plane struck above them. As smoke, noise, and confusion filled the corridors, Roselle calmly guided Hingson from his office to stairwell B and led him and about 30 other people down 1,463 steps, while Salty refused to leave Rivera’s side and, with the help of Rivera’s supervisor Donna Enright, steered him through the crowded stairwell to the exits.
Both teams emerged onto the street just before the towers collapsed, with the dogs staying focused despite falling debris and panicked crowds, and then continued to guide their handlers to safer areas away from the dust and rubble. For their actions, British charity PDSA later awarded Salty and Roselle a joint Dickin Medal.