MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Fifteen years ago, two planes crashed into New York City’s twin towers, killing thousands.
For Cody the dog, that terrifying day may still be a vivid memory.
"She's got her secrets from that day and we don't know what," Pam Pagano, the 17-year-old dog's owner, told The Daily Record. "We just know her life changed that day like it did for many others."
According to The Daily Record, rescuers found the dog – a mix of husky, German shepherd and Labrador – on the streets of New York City the day after the attacks.
Cody was placed in a Brooklyn shelter, then moved by the St. Hubert's rescue organization to a Madison, New Jersey, animal welfare center.
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That's where she was adopted by Pagano family of Morris Township, New Jersey,
“We thought we could finally do it,” Pagano said. “And then after 9/11, we were hearing about all of these dogs in shelters, and we felt we needed to do something.”
Cody, then 2, seemed like a good fit for the family.
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“We found the perfect dog,” Pagano said. “We wanted a puppy, but we just fell in love with her.”
Cody helped the Paganos get through the tragedy's aftermath.
“It was a good distraction for the kids after 9/11. They knew what was going on,” Pagano said, referring to her sons, Peter and Tommy. “We could see the towers from our neighborhood. You could see that smoke for days. We lost a neighbor. Cody was able to become the central focus of the family in those days.”
Now at 17 years old, Cody continues to uplift the Paganos – even if she can’t lift herself.
“She can’t climb stairs anymore, but her attitude is amazing,” Pagano said. “But every now and then, she drags us down to the park for a mile-and-a-half walk.”