09/10/2026
💛 In honor of the 25th Anniversary of September 11, Jessica Mejia, a Licensed Veterinary Technician who has been at AMC for 26 years, shares her remembrance of that tragic event and the subsequent days.
"I was working at the Animal Medical Center when September 11, 2001 happened, although I had called out of work that day. Like so many others, I watched everything unfold from home on the news, unable to believe what I was seeing. I remember trying to call some of my coworkers, but I couldn’t get through.
"What I remember most vividly was returning to work the next day. At the time, I took the 7 train into Manhattan, and I remember seeing the black cloud still covering lower Manhattan. When I got off the train, the city felt completely different. The streets were almost empty—no cars, hardly any people. It didn’t feel like the New York City I knew and loved.
"Things didn’t get easier right away. The commute was especially difficult. Getting on the train every day suddenly came with fear and uncertainty. Being in New York no longer felt completely safe, and there was always that thought in the back of your mind that something could happen again.
"When I got to AMC, I remember seeing everyone coming together to help. Some of the doctors were gathering supplies to assist wherever they could, while the ICU and Emergency Room prepared to care for any injured police or search-and-rescue dogs that might need us.
"More than 20 years later, I still remember that black cloud, the empty streets, and how different the city felt. But I also remember how people came together. For me, that will always be part of remembering September 11—the fear and sadness, but also the incredible willingness to help one another during one of New York City’s darkest moments."
—Jessica Mejia, LVT, Surgery Team Leaderand Advanced Clinical Technician, Schwarzman Animal Medical Center
🌹 We will always remember the lives lost, the bravery witnessed, and the unity that brought us together as a city.
