Mexico's canine rescue units awarded by Venezuela

Venezuela awarded the Mexican Army's Yumare humanitarian group the "Heroe de Venezuela" medal, while its canine teams received the "Heroes Caninos de Venezuela" award for their role in earthquake rescue operations Source: infobae. The Mexican contingent arrived less than 24 hours after two earthquakes struck Venezuela and spent two weeks searching collapsed buildings Source: mileniomx.

Rescue results

The team rescued two people alive, including a nine-year-old boy, and also extracted two dogs alive from the rubble. They recovered 92 bodies Source: infobae. The dogs Cabrio and Brindis, both awarded Mexico's Valor Heroico and Mérito Militar, were directly involved in locating the child Source: mileniomx.

Challenges and training

Commanders noted the difficulty of operating in diverse collapse types and the urgency of the first hours after a disaster Source: infobae. The military explained that canine training begins at four months and includes socialization and specialization, with working life spanning about six years Source: mileniomx.