PICS: Remembering the hero dogs of 9/11

(KMOX) - Nearly 10,000 volunteers joined in the rescue efforts following the collapse of the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001, and about 300 of those heroes came in the form of "man's best friend."

Our four-legged friends spent countless hours sniffing through the rubble, climbing mountains of smoldering debris and searching for survivors of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. 

Twenty-seven hours after the collapse, the last living person rescued from Ground Zero was found, not by a human, but a dog. 

These hero dogs would often work 12-hour days so a team of veterinarians was on site to help care for the dogs, checking their vitals, cleaning their eyes, snouts and paw pads. 

It's been nearly two decades since the deadly terrorist attacks and all of those furry heroes have since died.

The last remaining hero dog to serve on 9/11 passed away in 2016, just shy of her 17th birthday.