First Responders of the Americas: The Critical Role of K9 Units in Venezuela Earthquake Response

When ABC News reported the rescue of a dog and her puppies from the rubble of the earthquake that devastated Venezuela, the story seemed like one of many poignant narratives to emerge from the tragedy. But the dog did more than just lead rescuers to her puppies. Her persistent barking drew their attention to part of the rubble, where they discovered and rescued a woman trapped under the rubble.

The incident highlighted a well-known fact among search and rescue professionals: when it comes to finding people trapped under collapsed buildings, trained dogs remain one of the most effective tools available. Their exceptional sense of smell and agility allow them to navigate unstable structures and piles of rubble that are often inaccessible to people or heavy equipment, despite the constant dangers posed by twisted metal, broken glass, and exposed steel.

Since the June 24 earthquake, more than 2,000 rescuers and 137 search and rescue dogs from various countries have participated in emergency operations. Among them were Tsunami, Blade, Kayra, Dastan, Bart and Atenea – names that for thousands of Venezuelan families have become synonymous with hope. Along with their handlers, firefighters, military personnel and civil protection specialists, they formed part of one of the largest multinational search and rescue operations ever recorded in the region.

No machine can match the nose of a search dog

Mexican rescuers surround Haley, the search dog who helped locate Hernan Gil, before entering the building from which he was rescued in Catia la Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on July 2, 2026, eight days after the earthquakes. Jill was found alive after being trapped under rubble. (Photo: Federico Parra/AFP)

In the aftermath of a major earthquake, time is the biggest enemy. During the first 72 hours, known as the “golden window” of rescue, every minute can mean the difference between life and death.

“To this day, humans have not been able to create a tool equal to or more efficient than dogs’ sense of smell and senses,” Jorge Benz, founder and director of the Venezuelan Center for Training Canine Teams for Disaster Intervention (K-SAR ECID) and a tsunami handler, told Univisión. “The dog builds up a sort of catalog of odors, but the main reference he uses is the carbon dioxide produced by breathing.”

For this reason, K9 units are an essential component of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams. “Once dogs identify this scent, rescue teams can intervene using cameras and other equipment to determine the best access point for the victim and begin extraction operations,” Dennis Sanders, senior director of communications and search team operations at the Search Dog Foundation (SDF), told Diálogo. The California-based nonprofit selects and trains search dogs for American rescuers, and six of them have been deployed to Venezuela.

Dogs do not work in isolation. Their role is to narrow down the search area so that structural engineers, rescue specialists, medical personnel and other USAR team members can focus their efforts on places where survivors are most likely to be found.

Not all dogs perform the same job. Some are trained to locate living victims, while others are trained to discover human remains. In the Argentine unit, for example, Gino and Brooklyn were used to locate people who had died, while Bart and Frida were involved in searching for survivors. More than 96 hours after the earthquake, Bart, a Belgian Malinois citizen, was able to pinpoint the exact spot where rescuers needed to dig to reach minors trapped under the rubble.

Colonel Miguel Angel Wessinger, commander of the Argentine unit, said: “Bart set the goal and, above all, indicated the direction in which we have to work. This is very important because time is money.”

Years of training

Behind every successful intervention are years of selection, training, and teamwork between the dog and its handler.

“The bond between handler and dog is what brings together all the capabilities of the operational team,” Sanders said. “The skills we teach dogs – searching for debris, agility, responding to directional commands – are foundational, but the relationship between a dog and his handler continues to develop throughout their career together and allows the team to meet any challenge, whether during training or during a real mission.”

Selected dogs spend months training simulating collapsed structures, tunnels and unstable surfaces. They are then assigned to their future handlers, forming what is known as a K9 team, and continuing training throughout their operational career.

There is no single ideal breed for this job, but certain characteristics are essential: courage, physical endurance, agility, energy, and the ability to concentrate. Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and especially Belgian Malinois often have these traits. Malinois, in particular, are valued for their speed, strength and ability to move through tight spaces, as shown by Dastan, of the Bogotá Fire Department, in Venezuela. Dastan had already been involved in rescue operations following the 2021 Haiti earthquake.

A strategic supplier of the Americas

Members of an Argentine search and rescue team work with a trained dog to locate human remains under the rubble of a collapsed building in Carrabaleda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, June 28, 2026, following the earthquakes. (Photo: Miguel Medina/Pool/AFP)

The Venezuela earthquake highlighted not only the effectiveness of K9 units, but also the importance of having a sufficient number of trained teams before an emergency occurs. In the United States, experts estimate that about 450 certified teams are needed to adequately respond to large-scale disasters, but there are currently only about half that number. In Latin America, the number of certified K9 teams also remains limited compared to the frequency of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions and forest fires.

At the same time, the region has gained significant operational experience. Many of the dogs deployed to Venezuela had already participated in international missions in Haiti, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Turkey, demonstrating the value of years of training, certification, and cooperation between countries.

Tsunami is one example. The Venezuelan border collie was rescued years ago from abandonment and abuse, and was already working in Turkey after the 2023 earthquake. During his country’s emergency, he helped locate more than 20 survivors.

“Venezuela needs more search and rescue dogs,” Baines said. “The private sector and the state should help us establish the first K9 training center, so that there are not only Jorge Baines and the tsunami, but also several K9 teams ready to respond when necessary.”

Many of the dogs now working among the rubble have been rescued from abandonment.

“Seeing a dog that had a difficult start, and perhaps didn’t trust humans, gain confidence through the game of seek and end up saving lives after a disaster is extraordinary,” Sanders concluded.

On July 3, as international search and rescue operations drew to a close, Venezuelan authorities awarded the “Canine Heroes of Venezuela” medal to 36 dogs from 12 countries, in recognition of their role in locating survivors during the multinational response.

In earthquake-hit Venezuela, rescue dogs have not only helped locate survivors. By being integrated into search and rescue teams from across the continent, they demonstrated how years of training, coupled with international cooperation, can make a difference when every minute counts. Among the rubble, these four-legged first responders became one of the most visible symbols of a shared commitment to saving lives.

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