Jake's final owner, Mary Flood, is a member of Utah Task Force 1.
Utah Task Force 1 is a federal
search and rescue team trained to respond to
disasters. Following his recovery from his injuries, Flood helped to train Jake to become a federal "
U.S. government certified"
rescue dog. There are fewer than 200 of these dogs, who are trained to respond within 24 hours to disasters such as
hurricanes,
earthquakes,
wilderness, water rescue,
terrorist attacks, or
avalanches. Jake was most noted for his work following the
September 11 attacks, where he helped search for human remains at
Ground Zero. Jake, like other rescue workers and dogs, was honored by New Yorkers as a hero. Jake, wearing his search and rescue vest, was treated to a free steak dinner at an upscale
Manhattan restaurant on the evening he arrived to work in
New York City. Jake served as a rescue dog at the World Trade Center site for 17 days. Like the humans and other rescue dogs he worked with, Jake was exposed to the physical hazards of Ground Zero, including sharp debris and unhealthy air. Jake also served in his search and rescue team following
Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Jake, along with his Utah Task Force, drove over 30 hours from
Utah to
Mississippi to help search for survivors and victims of following the hurricane's landfall. Jake was also deployed to the
Gulf Coast in the aftermath of
Hurricane Rita. In his later years, Jake helped to train younger prospective rescue dogs, as well as their
handlers. Jake helped other dogs to learn to track
scents in difficult places and terrain, including under the snow and up trees. Jake also worked as a
therapy dog at Utah
nursing homes and at a camp for burn victims. ==Death and legacy==