Hero canines warm hearts as Turkey's earthquake rescue operations drop off
Some 400 search and rescue dogs are still working to find survivors in Turkey, though such operations are winding down.
Turks, grappling with grief and loss as the country’s death toll passed 35,000 following last week’s twin earthquakes, joined Mexicans in mourning the death of a search and rescue dog that died while trying to save people trapped under the rubble.
Hundreds of Turks tweeted, “Thank you, Proteo, we will always remember and honor you.” Many reposted an artistic portrait of the German shepherd drawn by graphic designer Burak Turker bearing the words “Thank you, Proteo.” The O in his name features the Turkish flag, with its star and crescent against a red backdrop. The image also went viral in earthquake-prone Mexico, which relied on canine power during its major earthquake in 2017.
Herşey için teşekkürler Proteo , sesimize eş, kardeşlerimizi ve sevdiklerimizi bulduğun için sana minnettarız. Seni asla unutmayacağız.#Proteo #TerremotoTurquia #HalukLevent #earthquaketurkey @SEDENAmx #OguzhanUgur pic.twitter.com/P57d8UD7pM
— burak türker (@buraktturker) February 12, 2023
The dog, one of the famous team of 16 rescue dogs Mexico sent to Turkey with soldiers from Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense, died when the building he entered to sniff out survivors beneath the rubble collapsed.
