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A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey in the early hours of Monday, February 6, leaving behind a death toll of over 8,000 (and counting), on top of 37,000 injured and thousands of toppled and damaged buildings. The earthquake was felt as far as Lebanon, and it has also caused over 2,000 deaths in neighboring Syria. The rain and snow, together with powerful aftershocks, have complicated rescue efforts. Faced with the daunting task to look for survivors, Turkey turned to other countries for help. Fortunately, help is on the way. Among the international first responders—including aid from Japan and the UK—are Mexico’s search and rescue dogs, along with their handlers. They are bound for Turkish city of Adana to help with the rescue and recovery efforts.
The 16 Mexican dogs who will make the trek belong to a handful of organizations. Balam and Orly are two border collies who are part of the Mexican Red Cross, and are joined by July, an 8-year-old black labrador, and Rex, a Belgian Malinois. Timba, from Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense, and Ecko, another Belgian Malinois from the Mexican Navy, are also part of the team.
These search and rescue dogs have several years of training and experience, and can alert their handlers that they’ve found someone by barking and scratching the ground. Rescuing teams rely on dogs to look for survivors in the rubble, as the use of any heavy machinery could cause further damage to the collapsed structures and put those trapped at risk.
Mexico’s search and rescue dogs rose to fame after an earthquake rocked central Mexico in September 2017. Led by a yellow labrador named Frida, known for bravely browsing the rubble with her protective boots and googles, the pooches became a symbol of hope and resilience, as well as a reassuring presence during the recovery efforts. While sadly Frida passed away from old age in 2022, she is being honored by the rescue team from the Mexican Navy. The brigade is now called Frida, and their uniforms boast a picture of her.
Along with the search and rescue dogs, Mexico has deployed over 100 rescuers, which include highly trained civilian volunteers and military personnel. A country prone to earthquakes, Mexico has developed specialized rescue teams ever since a 8.1 magnitude earthquake wrecked central Mexico in 1985.
“Mexico does this in homage to its tradition of solidarity, of support to other peoples and, of course, bearing in mind our experience with international solidarity in both 1985 and 2017,” said Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary. He also tweeted a video of the search and rescue dogs with the message: “The heart of our rescue team is currently flying to Turkey.”
After a devastating earthquake rocked Turkey, 16 search and rescue dogs from Mexico have been deployed to help look for survivors.
Rumbo a Turquía pic.twitter.com/cv68i3E5mv
— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) February 7, 2023
The 16 Mexican dogs who will make the trek belong to a handful of organizations. Balam and Orly are two border collies who are part of the Mexican Red Cross, and are joined by July, an 8-year-old black labrador, and Rex, a Belgian Malinoi.
¡Conócelos!
Ellos son nuestros caninos que viajan a #Turquia en apoyo a las víctimas, todos especialistas en búsqueda y rescate.
Les presentamos a:
🐾Balam
🐕Orly
🐶July
🐕🦺Rex pic.twitter.com/O11zvd7d4z— Cruz Roja Mexicana IAP (@CruzRoja_MX) February 7, 2023
Timba, from Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense, and Ecko, another Belgian Malinois from the Mexican Navy, are also part of the team.
Ekco del equipo de SEMAR pic.twitter.com/jP27PomoLS
— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) February 7, 2023
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary, tweeted a video of the search and rescue dogs with the message: “The heart of our rescue team is currently flying to Turkey.”
El corazón de nuestro equipo de rescate volando en estos momentos hacia Turquía : pic.twitter.com/fl82LCdJ13
— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) February 7, 2023
Mexican Red Cross: Website | Twitter
h/t: [BBC]
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