Trakr
Trakr | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1994 |
| Died | April 2009 |
| Occupation(s) | Police dog, search and rescue dog |
| Known for | Discovering the final survivor of the September 11 attacks; being cloned |
Trakr (circa 1994 – April 2009) was a German Shepherd trained as a police dog who, alongside his handler, Canadian officer James Symington, discovered the final survivor of the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center in 2001. Time magazine recognized Trakr as one of the most courageous animals in history. In 2008, after Symington won the BioArts International essay competition to identify the world's most "cloneworthy dog," Trakr was cloned, resulting in five offspring.
Background
Symington helped establish the canine unit for the Halifax Regional Police and served there for thirteen years. Trakr originated from the Czech Republic and joined the police force in 1995 at just over a year old. During six years of active duty, Trakr was instrumental in recovering contraband valued at over $1 million, locating missing individuals, and aiding in numerous arrests. He was retired early in May 2001 after Symington successfully opposed a policy mandating euthanasia for retiring K9s. Following Trakr’s retirement, Symington took a leave of absence from his position.
9/11 search and rescue
Motivated by the events of 9/11, Symington and Trakr traveled overnight—covering 15 hours—from Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia to Manhattan, arriving on September 12, 2001, to participate in rescue efforts. That day, Trakr detected signs of life beneath the debris, leading rescuers to Genelle Guzman—the last individual rescued from inside the collapsed World Trade Center—who had been trapped under roughly 30 feet of rubble for nearly 26 hours.
On September 14, Trakr suffered collapse caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals, burns, and extreme fatigue but recovered after receiving intravenous treatment. Symington, along with Trakr and Hall, returned to Canada the following day.
The Halifax police placed Symington on paid suspension for engaging in rescue activities without official permission while on leave. Although reinstatement was later offered, he declined due to the terms involved. In recognition of their efforts, Dr. Jane Goodall honored Symington and Trakr with the "Extraordinary Service to Humanity Award" in 2005.
In the news
Trakr and his descendants have been widely covered by international media including CNN, CBS Early Show, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Dog World. Additionally, they were featured among People magazine’s most notable stories of 2009.
Later years
Following retirement from active duty, Symington and Trakr moved to the Los Angeles, California area where Symington embarked on an acting career. Using the name Peter James, he appeared in television soap operas such as Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, The L Word, and The Young and the Restless, also contributing as a stunt double and coordinator.
In his final years, Trakr was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, which led to paralysis of his hind legs—a condition possibly associated with smoke inhalation at the World Trade Center site. Symington engaged Pawspice, a pet hospice and oncology service based in California, which provided a mobility cart enabling Trakr to move using his front legs. Trakr died in April 2009.
Cloning
Just before Trakr passed away, Symington won the "Best Friends Again" essay competition held by BioArts International, which granted the chance to clone Trakr. BioArts forwarded DNA samples to veterinarian Hwang Woo-Suk at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea, known for their expertise in canine cloning. The cloning procedure took place in Yongin, Korea, where Trakr's genetic material was inserted into five surrogate egg cells that were then implanted into female dogs.
In June 2009, Symington was given five cloned puppies named Trustt, Solace, Valor, Prodigy, and Deja Vu. At that time, BioArts provided private pet cloning services at a cost of $144,000 per puppy. Several animal welfare organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, expressed concerns regarding possible health complications in cloned animals.
By 2011, Symington had begun training these clones as search and rescue dogs.