The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March caused buildings in Bangkok, Thailand to collapse and inflicted severe damage on the city’s infrastructure.
In response, Thailand’s national rescue dog organisation, K9 USAR Thailand, was swiftly deployed to assist in search and rescue operations.
For the first three days, the dogs were seen resting amidst the rubble alongside their handlers during the search efforts.
Source: K9 USAR Thailand on Facebook
On the fourth day, a dedicated rest base was established for the dogs.
A team of volunteer veterinarians was also placed on standby to perform health checks, ensuring the dogs were fit and ready to continue their vital rescue work.
In a Facebook post shared on Monday (31 March), Susan Redmond from the K9 USAR Thailand team gave a tour of the ongoing rescue operations.
To ensure the comfort of the dogs, the team has set up crates equipped with cooling systems and portable air conditioners.
Source: K9 USAR Thailand on Facebook
Ms Redmond expressed gratitude for the generous donations from the public, specifically the cooling buckets — tubs filled with ice to help cool down dogs showing signs of overheating.
“The dogs understand that this is their quiet time. They just chill and relax,” she said.
Source: K9 USAR Thailand on Facebook
In addition, a team of volunteer veterinarians was on site to assess the readiness of the rescue dogs.
They conducted thorough physical check-ups to evaluate the animals’ health before allowing them to resume their search operations.
Source: K9 USAR Thailand on Facebook
Ms Redmond explained that while the handlers are certified in canine first aid, the veterinarians are there to perform more detailed checks that may have been overlooked.
“We really appreciate you being here. We hope that we don’t need you, but in case of an emergency, it’s really good to have you here,” she said to the team.
Source: K9 USAR THAILAND on Facebook
In several posts, dogs were seen wearing boots while searching for missing persons amid the rubble.
Ms Redmond explained: “Some situations are ideal for boots, and some are not.”
When the debris is assessed to contain sharp objects like glass, the handlers ensure the dogs wear boots during their search and rescue operations.
“We’re a little bit tired, but we’re still very hopeful that the dogs can help to find the missing,” Ms Redmond said on 29 March.
Also read: SCDF deploys 80 Operation Lionheart team members to Myanmar to assist quake rescue efforts
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Featured image adapted from K9 USAR Thailand on Facebook and Facebook.
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