Turkey Earthquake Update: Mexico Sends Its Famous Search And Rescue Dogs

Mexico is sending some of its well-known search and rescue dogs to Turkey to assist in the search for people buried beneath the wreckage, following the earthquake on Monday.

Early on Tuesday, a flight from Mexico City took off with at least 16 dogs on board, according to Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary.

Ebrard shared a video of the canine team, which included Belgian Malinois, Australian Sheepdogs and Labradors.

"The heart of our rescue team is currently flying to Turkey," Ebrard tweeted.

The use of heavy machinery could cause the rubble to collapse even further, endangering the lives of survivors. In these situations, animals are frequently used.

Mexico, which is prone to earthquakes, has highly skilled civilian and military teams who are frequently sent out to assist when calamities happen.

During the country's 2017 earthquake, the dogs saved many lives and won the hearts of the Mexican people.

Frida, a yellow Labrador Retriever, was spotted in Mexico City looking for survivors while wearing safety goggles and boots, she instantly gained international fame. The navy reported that during operations in Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala, and Ecuador, Frida saved 12 lives and discovered 40 bodies, reports BBC. She rescued 43 people throughout her service, which lasted from 2010 to 2019 when she retired.

The Mexican Navy crew traveling to Turkey will include at least one of Frida's canine coworkers from the 2017 Mexico earthquake, even though she died from old age last year.

A Belgian Malinois named Ecko was spotted at the Mexico City airport with his navy handler.

However, the deployment goes beyond the military. Los Topos de Tlatelolco (The Moles of Tlatelolco), a civilian search and rescue organization, is also en route.

The group of extremely skilled volunteers had messaged Ebrard, offering their assistance. After a short while, Ebrard responded that the Turkish embassy in Mexico City had helped to arrange transportation for them. The flight included search and rescue experts from the Mexican army, members of the navy, "five foreign ministry officials and 15 members of the Red Cross," a government press release said, reports CNN.

The foreign minister also shared a video of a Red Cross volunteer traveling on an aircraft with his dog.

In the video, German Shepherd Rex has reportedly been trained by Angel Daniel Hernández since he was adopted five years ago.

Mexico is not the only nation that is sending dogs to aid in rescue operations in Syria and Turkey.
Additionally using dogs and their handlers are Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Libya, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The dogs are taught to sniff out humans and inform their owners by barking and scratching the area of the ground with the highest odor.

Mexican officials claim that their goal is to "save lives," and although the canines can smell both dead bodies and living people buried beneath the debris, it is hoped that their rapid deployment would lead to rescues rather than recoveries.