A Border Collie named Tsunami has become one of the most talked-about figures in Venezuela’s earthquake rescue effort.
The dog has been helping search teams locate people trapped in rubble after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026.
Reports have credited Tsunami with helping rescuers find survivors, though public tallies vary and an official rescue-team count was not immediately available.
Some reports said Tsunami helped mark locations where people were alive beneath debris, allowing rescuers to reach them.
El País reported that a doctor helping organize support for rescue dogs said Tsunami had helped pull “about 40 people” from rubble, describing the dog as exhausted from the work.
The same El País report said Tsunami was rescued from the street before being trained and integrated into a rescue brigade.
Search dogs are trained to detect human scent in collapsed buildings, including areas where people may be hidden under concrete, dust and twisted metal.
They can help rescue teams decide where to dig when time is short and the work is dangerous.
Their work does not replace human rescuers, engineers or medical teams. But in disaster zones, one signal from a trained dog can direct crews toward a possible survivor.
The rescue work comes as Venezuela continues to mourn one of the worst earthquake disasters in Latin America in years.
Le Monde reported that official figures as of July 7 listed more than 3,600 deaths and about 16,700 injuries after the quakes.
Le Monde also said the United Nations estimated around 50,000 people were still missing.
Many of the hardest-hit areas are in La Guaira, north of Caracas.
International rescue teams, local volunteers and civilian groups have worked through collapsed buildings, often in dangerous conditions.
The Guardian reported that volunteer rescuers known as “moles” have joined professional teams to search debris and help families looking for missing relatives.
These volunteers have been crawling through narrow gaps in rubble to search for survivors and recover victims.
As rescue efforts shift toward recovery, stories like Tsunami’s have offered people a rare source of comfort.
The Border Collie’s work has drawn praise online because it shows how trained animals can help in moments when every minute matters.
For families still waiting for news, Tsunami has become more than a rescue dog. He has become a reminder that hope can still appear in the ruins.