Dog Rescued After Surviving 22 Days Stuck in Rubble Left Behind by Turkey's Deadly Earthquakes

Marisa Sullivan
·3 min read
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Dog Rescued After Surviving 22 Days Stuck in Rubble Left Behind by Turkey's Deadly Earthquakes

A dog named Alex is safe again after surviving 22 days trapped in the wreckage caused by Turkey's recent earthquakes.

"Surviving 22 days in that hole without eating or drinking anything is really a miracle," Haytap animal rescue worker Osman Polatsaid told Turkish news agency Anadolu, which USA Today also reported.

PEOPLE reached out to Haytap, but the organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the rescue.

Polatsaid, who personally retrieved the animal from the rubble, said that the husky had lost some weight but was in "good health" overall. The dog's owner called Haytap after reportedly hearing the dog's barks coming from the remains of a collapsed two-story building in Turkey's Hatay province.

Unfortunately, not all are as lucky as Alex. "There are lots of animals stuck inside the rubble, many have been trapped for a long time," 49-year-old rescuer Zinnet Patan shared with Haytap's website.

BBC reported that over 50,000 people were killed in the devastating quakes that hit Turkey and Syria in February, and thousands remain missing. Rescue missions for people and animals have not ceased since the first earthquake on Feb. 6.

RELATED: Animal Rescuers Still Saving Pets from Rubble in Turkey Over 2 Weeks After Deadly Earthquake

In the footage of Alex's rescue, rescuers can be seen reaching between two chunks of concrete to help the animal out of the tight spot. Alex receives water and cuddles immediately after he is free from the rubble.

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HATAY, TURKIYE - MARCH 01: A personnel caresses a dog, named "Aleks", who is received a treatment after 22 days of being rescued from under the rubble following 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit multiple provinces of Turkiye including their trauma in Hatay, Turkiye on February 28, 2023. On Feb.6 a strong 7.7 earthquake, centered in the Pazarcik district, jolted Kahramanmaras and strongly shook several provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis. On the same day at 1.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras' Elbistan district struck the region. (Photo by Gokhan Balci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Gokhan Balci/Anadolu Agency/getty

A Humane Society International animal rescue and veterinarian team arrived in Antakya, Turkey, shortly after the Feb. 6 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks. The group is also helping locals find their pets amongst the collapsed buildings in the city, a mission that didn't stop even when the area was hit with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 20.

"Every day here, our team is heading out to search for animals in the worst affected areas. We're bringing back rescued dogs and cats suffering with cuts, bruising, malnutrition, dehydration, and infections. We're working with an amazing team of local vets and volunteers in a veterinary field hospital tent, and the calls for help keep coming in," Kelly Donithan, HSI's director of animal disaster response, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Donithan added that pet owners forced to flee the area because of the destruction are worried about their pets. The director knows the animals could still be alive as rescuers continue to hear barks and meows coming from destroyed buildings.

RELATED: Dog Pulled from Rubble in Turkey 5 Days After Deadly Earthquake — Watch the Rescue

"People who evacuated are worried for their pets left behind, so wherever possible, we locate their apartments and find them," she said.

Dogs aren't only getting rescued in Turkey; they are also helping with the rescues. On Feb. 8, Mexico sent its beloved search and rescue dog team to Turkey to assist with recovery efforts. The canine team found international fame in 2017 for their heroic work following the Pubela earthquake.

To help earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and The Syrian American Medical Society.