An international team of search-and-rescue dogs has been working tirelessly to help save lives in Venezuela after the devastating earthquakes that struck the country on June 24. The dogs, specially trained to detect human scent, have been searching for people trapped beneath the rubble of nearly 200 buildings that collapsed following the two powerful back-to-back earthquakes.

Heroic Efforts

Tsunami, a mixed-breed border collie, is one of the dogs that has been making headlines for his heroic efforts. Recognizable by his heterochromia – with one eye brown and the other blue – he has helped locate several people trapped beneath the debris over the past 10 days. According to Venezuela’s government, Tsunami has helped save 25 people from the rubble of buildings that collapsed in the earthquakes.

Other dogs, such as Bart, a Belgian Malinois from Argentina, have also been making a significant impact. Bart helped rescue two children alive from the rubble and helped recover six bodies. Rambo, another Belgian Malinois, arrived in Venezuela as part of El Salvador’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team and has been working alongside his handler, Fernando Portillo, to locate survivors.

The dogs have been working in complex disaster environments, performing two critical tasks alongside their handlers – locating survivors and recovering victims trapped beneath collapsed structures. Their efforts have been recognized by Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who awarded them the title of “Venezuela’s Canine Heroes” during a ceremony in La Guaira, the coastal state hardest hit by the quakes.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.