Warwick-raised guide dog stars in a National Geographic film re-enacting Sept. 11, 2001, save

Warwick — A seeing eye dog named Hamilton, who was raised in Warwick, will make his film debut in a National Geographic film re-enactment of a seeing-eye dog who led his blind owner out of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. From Allison Argo’s film “9/11: Where Were You?” made for National Geographic, the segment featuring Hamilton is called “9/11: Salty and Omar.” Blind from an early age, Omar was on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center when American flight #11 slammed into the North Tower. His guide dog Salty managed to get them to safety before the building collapsed. It took the two of them more than an hour to make their way down the stairs together. Salty maneuvered through others trying to escape, firefighters heading up in the opposite direction and smoke. He became a big hit with the firefighters. Hamilton, the actor dog who plays Omar in the segment, was raised through his puppyhood by Warwick resident Cheryl DeVine, a volunteer puppy raiser with Guiding Eyes for the Blind. He was DeVine’s first puppy and has been serving as a guide dog in Niagara Falls since March 2010. Salty was also a GEB-raised dog who was placed with Omar after his guide dog training and eventually led his blind owner from the burning tower before it collapsed. The “9/11 Salty and Omar” segement can be found on YouTube.