Mexican search-and-rescue dog dies during mission to Turkey

SEDENA

It has been more than 10 days since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The death toll had risen to some 42,000 people as of Thursday when search-and-rescue teams Mexico had sent to deliver aidbegan to return home. But one of the K-9 rescuers died on the mission.

The Mexican Army held a memorialThursday welcoming the rescue dog, Proteo, back to Mexico and paying homage to his service.

A 9-year-old German Shepherd, Proteo had trained and worked as a rescue dog since he was 4 months old. He helped with post-disaster search efforts in Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala and Ecuador, and was sent to Turkey because of his skills and experience. There, he helped rescue one minor and recover 14 bodies from the rubble, according to officials.

Proteo died from the harsh conditions and extreme cold, his handler Carlos Villeda Marquezsaid.

Mexico’s search and rescue dogs have become icons since the 2017 Mexico City earthquake. Proteo’s death caused some to question why a dog of his age was sent on an intense international mission.