Working Dogs Facts

Bretagne, a golden retriever, worked Ground Zero for 10 days after 9/11 as a 2-year-old. She later responded to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ivan. When she died at 16 in 2016, firefighters lined the sidewalk and saluted her - then carried her out draped in an American flag.

Nick spent eight years sniffing out explosives for the Army. Federal workers across the Defense Department know him a different way. His goggled photo is the login screen for the Department of Defense Global Directory. He ran 58 Secret Service missions, a NATO summit and the UN General Assembly. Nick retired at Fort Meade on January 21, 2026. His handler, Staff Sgt. Justin Peyton, adopted him.