In the shattered remains of Venezuela’s quake-ravaged buildings, Sisu works with the same single-minded drive she brings to chasing her favorite toy — an orange and blue ball.
Strapped into her blue harness, the restless brown Labrador retriever clambers over broken concrete and twisted debris left by the 24 June earthquakes, slipping into the wreckage of collapsed structures.
Her tool is simple and decisive: scent.
Dogs like Sisu — part of the US rescue contingent, Florida Task Force 2 — have been essential to locating survivors as rescuers race against the clock.
Now, 11 days after one of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters killed nearly 3,000 people, international teams are beginning to wrap up their deployments, with dwindling hope of finding additional people alive.
Even so, the dogs’ impact has been unmistakable.
Alexander Parada with Piper, a Labrador retriever, who rescued two people in Venezuela
When responders reach a site where they believe people may be trapped, the dogs are typically the first to go in. The twin earthquakes toppled dozens of residential complexes, hitting hardest in the coastal La Guaira area.
“Their work is based on detecting where there are humans” — picking up temperature, body odour and the carbon dioxide victims exhale — explained Alexander Parada of Florida Task Force 2. He spoke alongside Piper, a Labrador retriever credited with rescuing two people in Venezuela on what was her first mission.
“They do a job we can’t do.”
Handlers rely on a careful system to avoid mistakes in chaotic conditions. When one dog signals a possible find, a second is brought in to confirm it, said Sylvia Arango, a canine handler since 1998 who oversees Sisu.
After that, rescuers use radar or cameras to narrow the precise point where victims may be located.
With their powerful sense of smell, search dogs can sweep large zones quickly, Parada said — a crucial advantage as the odds of finding people alive drop sharply after the first 72 hours.
‘Safe’
Sisu was among more than 120 search-and-rescue dogs from a dozen countries deployed across several La Guaira communities, the region hit hardest by the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes.
Some dogs also became symbols of resilience for Venezuelans watching the response unfold. Tsunami, a local border collie with one blue eye and one brown eye, drew attention for her own turnaround — from an animal rescued from abuse to one helping save lives.
Like the teams they worked beside, the dogs operated in 12-hour shifts, moving in and out of dangerous, unstable ruins.
The animals operated in the high temperatures of La Guaira, exposing themselves to dehydration and abrasions to their fur
The animals operated in the high temperatures of La Guaira, exposing themselves to dehydration and abrasions to their fur — injuries visible on Sisu’s neck.
They navigated jagged piles of debris and even squeezed through tight tunnels carved out by collapsed walls, columns and beams, following any trace of life beneath the wreckage.
For some, the hazards led to injuries and fractures.
But that risk comes with the mission, Arango said.
“The minute that we walk onto those rubble piles, there’s no guarantee that we’re going to be safe,” Ms Arango said. “We have to trust our training.”
Sylvia Arango, a canine handler since 1998 manages Sisu
Puppy love moments
So what makes a rescue dog? According to Arango, it starts with boundless energy — paired with the confidence to move without hesitation through unstable, unfamiliar terrain.
More than anything, she said, it comes down to temperament: strength of character and a persistent drive to investigate.
While Labrador Retrievers make up most of the American team, the group also includes Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
Yesterday — 10 days after the earthquakes left 2,954 dead and thousands still missing — Brazilian and Spanish teams remained in the field, continuing to search destroyed areas with their dogs.
For Sisu and Piper, however, the operation was ending, and it was time to gather their toys and prepare for the trip home.
As the mission closed, Arango said what stayed with her most from Sisu’s first deployment was not only the work in the rubble, but the brief relief the dog brought to grieving residents.
“It’s been a devastating situation,” Ms Arango said.
“When someone comes up whose heart is hurting, we can get them to smile, and children are able to come up to our dogs and pet them,” she said.
“It’s also that opportunity to connect with other people, to try to maybe, for that really one moment, not think about what’s happening in the horrors that are happening, and just maybe be loved by a happy puppy.”
