Mexican Red Cross rescue dogs continue search for survivors in quake-hit Venezuela
Rescuers from the Mexican Red Cross, assisted by specially trained search-and-rescue dogs, remain deployed in Venezuela's La Guaira state as efforts continue to locate survivors following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.
A video by Viory showed Orly, Balam and Kenai, three Border Collies from the Mexican Red Cross Task Force, resting after spending hours searching collapsed buildings for people who may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Edgar Martinez, a canine handler with the Mexican Red Cross, said rescue teams have been working in difficult conditions but remain committed to the mission.
"We are here in Venezuela, in La Guaira, working on search and location efforts for live people in quite difficult scenarios, with quite high temperatures, but with a great willingness to help," he said.
Martinez explained that the dogs are trained to identify survivors by detecting carbon dioxide released through human breathing.
"The dogs are trained to locate people through breathing, specifically through the carbon dioxide that we emit when we exhale; that indicates that a person is alive," he said.
He added that preparing the dogs for rescue operations depends heavily on volunteers who simulate being trapped during training exercises.
"People are literally used, and we are very grateful in advance to everyone who helps us in Mexico by hiding from the dogs... when I send the dog to search, there has to be a person pretending to be buried so that the dog can be locating them," Martinez said.
Mexico has reportedly deployed 22 canine teams to Venezuela to assist with search-and-rescue operations. Eighteen of the teams are from the Emergency Response Battalion of the Secretariat of Defence, while the remaining four belong to the Mexican Red Cross, including Orly, Balam and Kenai.
The three internationally certified dogs have previously taken part in major disaster response missions, including search efforts following the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 have killed 1,943 people and injured 10,571 others, according to updated figures released by Venezuelan authorities on Tuesday.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
