Nona and Schatzie celebrate another Field Trial win

About the Author

Nona Kilgore Bauer is the author of two dozen books on dogs, but Dog Heroes of September 11^th, a Tribute to America's Search and Rescue Dogs changed her life. "When the handlers shared their 9/11 experiences with me, and beyond that, their total dedication to their country ... and their dogs ... training at their own expense, most of them for years in order to be ready 'just in case,' recognizing their work became, and continues to be, my 'writing mission,'" Bauer says. "I believe that America needed to know about the contributions these dogs and their handlers made to the families of the victims. Without them, hundreds of families would not have closure after losing their loved ones. That contribution is priceless. I am still awed by what they did, and feel privileged that I was able to record their stories. They truly have added another dimension to my life."

A four-time winner of the Dog Writer's Association of America's prestigious Maxwell Medallion, and a frequent nominee, Bauer's books include seven on her beloved Golden Retriever, more than any other published author. She is a member of the Golden Retriever Club of America, the Golden Retriever Club of Greater St. Louis, Gateway Golden Retriever Rescue, the Mississippi Valley Retriever Club, and the Missouri Valley Retriever Club.

In 2001 she received what she considers the highest of honors; the Golden Retriever Club of America's Vern Bower Humanitarian Award, "for exemplary and selfless devotion to the Golden Retriever." Bauer is also a member of the Author's Guild and the Quincy IL Writer's Guild, as well as the DWAA.

Dog Heroes of September 11th was first released as a commemorative edition in recognition of the 5th anniversary of 9/11. It was a 2006 Book of the Month Club selection and the Book of the Month Club Best Illustrated Book. The book also earned the DWAA 2006 Best Book Award, the DWAA President's Award, and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence in Publishing. In 2011 the book was re-released in an updated and revised 10th anniversary edition.