Venezuela has unveiled a bronze statue of Tsunami, the search and rescue dog who became the face of the country’s earthquake response.
The sculpture stands in Vereda del Lago park in Maracaibo, with a plaque naming him “Guardián de la esperanza,” or guardian of hope.
Mayor Giancarlo Di Martino called him “a true hero” at the ceremony, awarding him the Honor Button of Merit, the Medal of Valor and the city fire department’s insignia.
The statue marks the end of Tsunami’s career
His unit, K-SAR ECID, confirmed the tribute also marks his retirement. “He retires at the top of his game, proving his courage and giving everything in the field.”
Handler Jorge Beens attended the unveiling alongside municipal officials and members of the public, according to Al Jazeera.
Tsunami is a border collie with one blue eye and one brown, and one of very few trained search and rescue dogs in the country.
When two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 just 39 seconds apart, the pair went straight into the rubble, with Tsunami credited with helping find dozens of people trapped beneath it.
Footage of him picking across broken concrete spread worldwide during the response.
Forbes reported that his service record stretches back years, taking in the Las Tejerías and El Castaño mudslides in 2022 and the Turkey and Syria earthquakes in 2023.
Heartwarming animal stories have made headlines before. A stray dog in Michigan went viral after walking herself into a local shelter, clearly looking to be adopted.
