We all want our dogs to live forever. In one sense, a very special dog named Bretagne always will.

The life story of Bretagne (pronounced “Brittany”) is featured in our book, “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts.” Now 16 years old, Bretagne is the last known surviving search dog who worked the pile at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Bretagne is an anomaly for our book because she was not adopted as an older dog. We decided to include her story, though, because her retirement years have been almost as epic — and surprising — as her younger years. That’s because her longtime handler, Denise Corliss of Cypress, Texas, came to realize that Bretagne needed to be rescued from something that afflicts many dogs as they age: Boredom.

In the past year alone, Bretagne has helped first-graders in Texas learn how to read out loud, raised money for charity, strutted down a red carpet, sat down for interviews with NBC News legend Tom Brokaw, and attended an epic “Sweet 16” birthday bash orchestrated for her by grateful New Yorkers. But none of these adventures seemed remotely possible just three years ago.

Bretagne continues to “train” on a rubble pile in Texas in her retirement years because Denise Corliss knows how much she loves to work. (Photo courtesy of Denise Corliss)

At age 13, Bretagne started to experience so much stiffness and joint pain that she could no longer climb the stairs in her home. Denise decided to try something: She installed an above-ground pool in her backyard, and she began swimming Bretagne for at least 10 minutes a day.

“It makes a huge difference,” Denise told me. “She started doing the stairs again. Then we started focusing on ways to keep her mentally active, and it turns out that helping kids in school is great for that. It helps her as much as it helps them.”

Bretagne’s full life story of service and playfulness and snack-stealing in our “My Old Dog” book will make you swoon. It also might make you cry — but they will be happy tears. We promise!!

Here are some behind-the-scenes images from our interview and photo shoot with Denise and Bretagne at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City last year. Photographer Lori Fusaro and I feel so honored to have met this beautiful dog and scratched her behind the ears. She is amazing.

Lori Fusaro photographs Bretagne with Denise Corliss’ assistance at the 9/11 Memorial in September 2014. (Photo by Laura T. Coffey)

Denise Corliss, Bretagne and NBC News’ Tom Brokaw walk past the 9/11 Memorial’s enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, which are surrounded by bronze panels bearing the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (Photo by Lori Fusaro)

TODAY.com writer and author Laura T. Coffey interviews Tom Brokaw for the book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts.” (Photo by Mark Stubis)

Bretagne is a good girl while Lori Fusaro photographs her with Denise Corliss’ help. (Photo by Laura T. Coffey)

Denise Corliss and Bretagne take a small break in the action at the 9/11 Memorial in September 2014. (Photo by Laura T. Coffey)

After a successful photo shoot, photographer Lori Fusaro gets better acquainted with Bretagne and gives her some loving. (Photo by Laura T. Coffey)

Love your old dog? Tell us why! Send your thoughts, observations and dog photos to stories@myolddogbook.com with “I love my old dog because” in the subject line. Your dog may be featured in a future post!

Love stories and photos of sweet senior pooches? The book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts” by Laura T. Coffey and Lori Fusaro will be released on Oct. 6. It’s available now at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.