New Delhi:
Rescue operations are under full swing in earthquake-hit Bangkok, where a 33-storey skyscraper turned into rubble within seconds, killing at least 13 people while over 70 remain buried. However, sources told NDTV that the number of people buried could be as high as 300 to 400. K9 USAR, Thailand’s Rescue Dog Association, has stepped up as a ray of hope. The furry friends are on rescue duty, helping locate people – dead and alive.
In videos and pictures shared on K9 USAR Thailand’s Facebook page, dogs can be seen treading carefully and sniffing through heaps of rubble.
Dog handlers carefully assess the area, including debris, which includes unstable building material, sharp objects, surface temperature, and grip, before deciding whether dogs should be worn in shoes or barefooted for a task. It is to provide dogs with stability and comfort while they work to save a life.
On Saturday, one of the dogs, K9 Sahara, was given shoes on the front legs as the area was “quite loose and uncertain”.
“Handler chose to have her wear the front leg only to maintain force from the back leg if needed. Within a short period of time, closely observing the behavior indicated that loose surfaces had caused the shoes to lose stability and no sharp points were found in the area. So, she decided to remove all of her shoes, so Sahara could continue working with confidence, agility and better grip,” the team described in a Facebook post.
Sahara’s search for survivors on Saturday involved glass and wire, so safety shoes were worn.
Giving a tour of the camp where the dogs are stationed, a member of the K9 USAR Thailand team explained that there are cooling systems for every dog crate.
“The dogs are shut off from the world. They have time to relax and be ready for work when we are asked to go to the site. Dogs understand that this is their quiet time, and they chill and relax until they need to go to work,” she added.
There is also a cool-down station for dogs if they begin to overheat. “Somebody has kindly donated some cool-down buckets for the dogs and cooling mats.”
There are also portable air conditioners, which have made a huge difference to the comfort and well-being of the dogs, the dog handler said.
Volunteer vets, who have offered to help the team take care of dogs, are on standby the whole time.
“We have all got canine first aid qualifications, but in case of something that’s beyond our capability, we have our vet teams on standby to take care of anything more important than what we could deal with,” the dog handler added.
The woman from the K9-search team expressed that while they are a “bit tired”, the team remains hopeful that their dogs can help find the missing.
“One focus is just to help find the missing people,” she said.
On Monday, all nine rescue dogs underwent a thorough checkup by a volunteer veterinary team. The assessments show that all dogs are in perfect health and can continue with their normal search and rescue duties.