Abandoned Dog 'Tsunami' Becomes Earthquake Hero in Venezuela, Saves Lives in Rescue Operations

Border Collie with Heterochromatic Eyes
Accurately Locates Survivors

In Venezuela, where two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck in quick succession, a rescue dog has emerged as a hero after finding survivors in the earthquake debris.

According to Yonhap News on June 28, the name of this heroic dog is Tsunami. Tsunami, a Border Collie rescue dog with heterochromatic black and sky blue eyes, received special training to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings. From immediately after the earthquake occurred on June 25, Tsunami has worked alongside rescue teams on-site and is reported to have helped save at least 12 or more survivors. Notably, at the site of an apartment collapse in the capital city of Caracas, Tsunami played a decisive role in the rescue operation by accurately pinpointing the location of an elderly survivor trapped under the debris.

Hero rescue dogs Orion (left) and Tsunami of Venezuela. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The rescue team focused their efforts on the spot where Tsunami stopped, ultimately rescuing the survivor safely. This scene spread rapidly through local media and social networking services (SNS), bringing great hope to a nation in despair. Tsunami was once an abandoned stray dog who had suffered severe abuse. After being rescued, Tsunami received professional training from Venezuelan rescuer Jorge Vins and is now serving as a member of the disaster rescue team (K-SAR ECID).

Even before this earthquake, Tsunami had carried out search missions during the 2023 Türkiye earthquake and at the sites of major landslides in Venezuela. Veterinarian Anibal Hurtado stated, "Tsunami is extremely exhausted, but in good health," adding, "After some rest and recovery, he will continue to participate in rescue operations."

Tsunami's achievements have reminded Venezuelans of another legendary rescue dog: Orion, the hero of the 1999 Vargas tragedy. The Vargas disaster, caused by sudden torrential rains in the Vargas region, led to floods and landslides that resulted in more than 10,000 deaths, with entire villages disappearing from the map.

At the time, Orion, a Rottweiler who was initially a family pet, began saving people swept away by the current as he navigated through mud and debris, eventually joining rescue teams in their efforts. Thanks to Orion, who worked tirelessly for several days, 37 people were saved. Orion became a symbol of hope amid disaster and helped raise awareness of the importance of rescue dogs among Venezuelans. In 2000, Orion was awarded a medal and commemorated with a statue, and is remembered as Venezuela's greatest hero dog.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.