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9/11 First Responder's Therapy Dog Scared Off by Fireworks Returns to Yonkers Home

What to Know

  • 9/11 first responder Paulina Santos of Yonkers said her dog Rocky ran away after he got scared by fireworks on Wednesday
  • She was frantically searched for the golden retriever who has been helping her with the tough memories from the 2001 terror attack
  • Santos said her four-legged companion was found around 4 a.m. Friday at the front door

Rocky the golden retriever has been helping Paulina Santos deal with tough memories as a first responder to the terror attacks on 9/11, but after nearby fireworks spooked him and a frantic search by his owner, Rocky found his way home.

Santos said her four-legged companion was found around 4 a.m. Friday at the front door.

The nurse who helped out in the aftermath of 2001 terror attack told News4 she was watering her garden Wednesday night when fireworks went off and 6-year-old Rocky ran away "in an instant" from his home in Yonkers. She was worried she would never see him again.

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"He's not only a house pet he is like a therapy dog," Santos said. "With all the fireworks and everything, it frightens him terribly."

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