Frida the Rescue Labrador Is Doing Her Best to Save Lives in Mexico After Back-to-Back Earthquakes
Not all superheroes wear caps. Some wear collars, specially designed “doggles” and tiny boots.
Frida the Labrador has been saving lives in Mexico and melting hearts around the world as her rescue efforts go viral.
Frida, who is the star of the Mexican navy’s Canine Unit, has found 52 people — 12 alive — in several world disasters, according to the Los Angeles Times.
While her time serving her country has taken her to various places around the world, including Ecuador during the earthquake of April 2016, Frida is focusing her efforts on home, after the country was devastated by two repeat earthquakes this month..
#México Frida, labrador de la unidad canina de la Marina lleva 53 localizaciones, de las que 12 son personas vivas en #Juchitán, #Oaxaca pic.twitter.com/5TT2tzaS7f
— A primera hora (@PueAPrimeraHora) September 12, 2017
Called a “legend” within the navy, Frida is 7-years-old and is currently stationed in Mexico City where she is helping rescue efforts in the collapsed Colegio Enrique Rebsamen where 11 children were found alive. Twenty-five people, of which 19 were children, were found dead.
Frida is usually outfitted with a harness, a visor and special booties when digging through rubble for people, according to El Pais.
Su valiosa ayuda y amor por el ser humano, hacen que de su máximo esfuerzo para salvar vidas #perrosrescatistas pic.twitter.com/jpidngFREV
— SEMAR México (@SEMAR_mx) September 21, 2017
????Gran labor de búsqueda y rescate la que también han hecho los binomios caninos. #FuerzaMéxico #perrosRescatistas ???????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/LfrvwwhqZg
— Ángeles Verdes (@AngelesVerdesMX) September 21, 2017
The Times reported Frida had worked tirelessly on Thursday, before taking a break due to exhaustion. She is accompanied by two Belgian Malinois dogs, Evil and Echo, who are sent into collapsed buildings first.
Ella es #Frida, pertenece a la @SEMAR_mx y ha ayudado a salvar 52 vidas en distintos desastres naturales a nivel nacional e internacional. pic.twitter.com/iLy87aCRFX
— Presidencia México (@PresidenciaMX) September 13, 2017
Frida’s handler, Israel Arauz Salinas, told the Times that if the two dogs detect a person, Frida will usually follow to confirm, spending no more than 20 minutes inside of a toppled building.
“They act afraid,” Salinas said of the moment the dogs find a corpse. “That indicates to us that there is a cadaver.”
According to El Heraldo de Mexico, Frida also teaches labradors between the ages of 1 and 5, as she is the most experienced dog in her unit.