Thai sniffer dogs become stars of earthquake rescue efforts
Thailand’s search and rescue team searching for survivors of Monday’s devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has drawn applause on social media for its 43 people – and two canines.
The female Golden Retrievers in the team from Urban Search and Rescue Thailand have become social media stars in Thailand because many Thais were unaware of the vital role sniffer dogs play in search and rescue missions.
Photos of seven-year-old Sierra and six-year-old Sahara have been shared widely on social media, along with an outpouring of concern for those affected by the catastrophe.
The team left Thailand on Thursday and started work on Saturday in Hatay, a southern Turkish province on the Mediterranean coast that borders Syria.
The temperature dropped to 2 degrees Celsius at their base. Both canines were put in sleeping bags to keep them warm while waiting to start their work.
Sierra and Sahara, from the Environmental and Social Foundation, had passed training certified by the International Rescue Dog Organisation.
Their main task is to search for earthquake victims in the rubble and signal to their handlers if they find someone. The canines’ handlers are their unnamed owners.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving about 24,000 people dead and affecting millions more in both countries.
As of Saturday afternoon, the number of dead reached 24,000 – 20,665 in Turkey and more than 3,500 in Syria.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, acting on behalf of the Thai government, donated 5 million baht (about US$149,000) to the relief effort through the Turkish Embassy in Thailand.
The Thai Red Cross Society also donated 2 million baht (about $60,000) to the Red Crescent societies of Turkey and Syria, and is urging members of the public to make personal donations.
