Four-legged rescuers lead way after Venezuela quakes

Sisu, a determined brown Labrador retriever, ventures into the rubble left by Venezuela's earthquakes with the same energy she uses to chase her favorite toy. Wearing her blue harness, she searches for survivors with nothing but her sense of smell.

Sisu is one of more than 120 four-legged rescuers from a dozen countries deployed to expedite rescue efforts in communities devastated by the powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes on June 24. The animals are often the first to act when teams arrive at a location where survivors are believed to be buried.

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Their work is based on detecting where there are humans

Their work is based on detecting humans by identifying temperature, body odor, and exhaled carbon dioxide. When a dog alerts to a find, rescuers send a second animal to confirm before using radar or cameras to refine coordinates. "They do a job we can't do," said Alexander Parada, a member of Florida Task Force 2, referring to the search dogs' ability to quickly inspect large areas.

Despite the high temperatures and abrasive rubble in La Guaira, the most affected area, the dogs operated in 12-hour shifts, exposing themselves to dehydration and abrasions. Some, like the local border collie Tsunami, became symbols of resilience, having been rescued from abuse themselves before saving others. The operations caused some of the dogs visible abrasions, like on Sisu's neck, as they navigated narrow tunnels formed in the jumbled debris.

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They do a job we can't do.