Nepal Earthquake: Man’s best buddy is making its contribution count

By NewsGram Staff Writer

No doubt, help is pouring over disaster-struck Nepal from every corner of the world. With pledges of money, water and food supplies, every country is doing its bit to offer relief to this land-locked country.

In fact, in this hour of crisis, human's best buddy is also making its contribution count.

Notably, the canine mates possess special abilities to sniff and locate the remains of people who are stuck or buried beneath the rubble. Body structure of dogs allows them to climb high on the mountains, thus speeding up the rescue process.

Just a few hours after the powerful 7.9 earthquake jolted Nepal, India sent a pack of sniffer dogs to Kathmandu via an IAF craft to help with the rescue operations. The sniffer dogs were part of India's first rescue deployment.

Just a day after the disastrous earthquake, a team of six Essex firefighters and rescue dog Darcy have joined the international operation to assist with the earthquake recovery operation.

Five dogs from Gilroy, United States, were also sent to Nepal to look for people who may be buried alive under tons of debris due to the deadly earthquake.

Pluis Davern, who trains the highly skilled dogs, said, "Those disaster search dogs are going to be incredibly helpful. They cover terrain that we as humans never can, and pinpoint where potentially people who are still alive are buried."

These dogs have been trained to bark as soon as they sniff the scent of a living person.

"It's electrifying, because there is a chance to save somebody who otherwise, potentially, would never be found," he said.

A team of 15 volunteers and six dogs were sent to Nepal from France and Spain to lend a hand in the rescue operations.

"These dogs have a vital role in identifying victims buried under the debris," said Jose Castello, a volunteer with Intervention Ayuda Emergencical (IAE).

Hitherto, nearly 5,000 people have been reported dead after a powerful 7.9-magnitude struck Nepal on last Saturday.