The Story Of A Sensational Police Dog Who Helped Save 52 Human Lives!!

 Loyalty, compassion and unconditional love are the virtues that can be associated with a dog without any doubt. Still, most of us believe and know about their limitations as at the end of the day one has to understand the fact that they are animals. Well, wait, as the dog that we are going to tell you about here did something so extraordinary that it became an overnight sensation and won millions of hearts. I will not be surprised if it tempts you to rethink about your perception on dogs. Read on to find out the incredible story of this dog which will leave you awestruck and inspired to the core!!

Mexico

Officially known as the United Mexican States, this nation located in the southern portion of North America displays a complex amalgam of indigenous and Spanish culture. From ancient cave paintings, classical monuments and a vast range of music genres to world-class cuisines and passion for sports, one is left completely stupefied after witnessing these sights which this nation offers. But, it was the year 2017 when something so tragic struck this country and its cheerful citizens that the whole world cried with them.

A Devastating Earthquake

It is a fact that Mexico is situated on top of numerous intersecting tectonic plates which makes it one of the most seismically active regions in the world. This was the prime reason for the earthquakes which struck on 19 September 2017 and shook the entire nation. With its epicenter 55 km south of the city of Puebla the quake raised havoc with strong shaking for about 20 seconds!! It seemed that the Almighty was in a mood to raise hell as this earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale, had struck 12 days after an even stronger Chiapas Earthquake struck 650 km away on the coast of Chiapas.

Damage And Aftermath

The sight after the disaster was miserable. It led to the collapse of famous churches located in the city of Cholula and on the slopes of Popocatépetl in Atzitzihuacan that too during the mass, killing 15 people present there at that time. Well, this was just a small portion of the utter devastation caused. As around 44 buildings collapsed in Mexico city alone leading to huge loss of life and property. The government had to declare a state of emergency in thirty-three municipalities of Morelos and sixteen boroughs of Mexico City in order to channel the funds from National Natural Disaster Fund (FONDEN) to be used during the emergency response phase. The general public was in peril with something needed to be done quickly in order to provide them some relief.

Rescue Operation

An effective and efficient rescue operation was the need of the hour after the calamity which had claimed approximately 361 lives with many people still trapped under the debris and on the verge of succumbing to the circumstances. It was then that the Mexican navy sprung into action leading to an accelerated pace of the rescue operations being conducted. Though they helped a lot of people affected by the calamity it was them who also came up with sad statements like the one issued by Navy Undersecretary Angel Enrique Sarmiento,”All of the children are unfortunately dead,” while talking about Enrique Rebsamen school on Mexico City’s south side. Well, apart from the sad events it was a surprising hero who arose in such a tough time and caught the attention of the whole world due to his incredible work.

Frida

Yes, it is the dog that you see in the image whom I was talking about in the previous slide. Her name is Frida and is a Labrador retriever. You won’t believe that she is the most famous dog in the entire nation of Mexico. But, why? Well,  as of now, I would just give a hint that she is the head of the Mexican navy’s Canine Unit and is used to witnessing the sights that most people would not even dream of. She is one with amazing work ethics and believes in giving her all when it comes to completing the task being assigned to her. Her life and amazing antics will surely leave you in awe and inspire you. Let me first give you a brief idea of the kind of dog she is.

The Saviour

She is of the breed Labrador Retriever. This breed of dogs is one of the most popular in the entire world. The reason being its high intelligence, good temperament and an extremely efficient sense of smell. It is because of these qualities that they are generally being used in navy, police force and militaries as detection dogs. They are highly obedient and can be trained without much hassle. Fortunately, Frida displayed all these characters that too in abundance which eventually, came in handy in situations such as the one with which the entire nation of Mexico was suffering.

Mexican Navy’s Elite Unit

After the 8.1 magnitude earthquake occurring in the year 1985, the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) created a K-9 Unit with the prime objective of conducting search-and-rescue operations in order to help and find people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The highlight was the inclusion of a canine team in the unit which consisted of highly trained dogs. The fact of Frida being the head of this team can give you an idea of her high credentials. “When an earthquake hits, canine search and rescue teams are an important tool at a global level,” Commander Israel Monterde Cervantes, chief of SEMAR’s K-9 Unit, explained Diálogo. “Their efficiency saves us time getting to people who are still alive.”

Deployed

“We have advanced quite a bit since the ’85 quake. We have had many advances in the area of protecting civilians,” Cmdr. Monterde stated. “We are one of the best in this area in Latin America.” These statements arise from the confidence that the officials have on Frida, who is always ready to help them whenever a natural disaster occurs. Before going into an operation she is made to wear goggles, boots, and a harness just like any other navy personnel. It is after this that she gets ready for action. Astonishingly, Frida has been serving the navy since the day she was born and is currently 7 years old. The amazing rescuing skills that she displayed during the earthquake will surely leave you stunned!

Long Career

In the span of 7 years that she has served the Navy, Frida has made up quite a name for herself which is exceptional as 7 years is considered to be a short amount of time for achieving something that Frida has. It is because of her amazing detection skills that 12 out of the 52 people she detected are still alive. But, if you think this is all then you are wrong, as, there is much more under her belt most of them acquired after her efforts during the tragedy which struck Mexico that we are talking about.

Recent Work

When the navy was being asked by the government of Mexico to spring into action and help people who had been affected by it, Frida was among those who instantly popped up in the miserable scene caused by the 7.1 scaled earthquakes. She was being deployed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca which was the most affected by the tragedy and had become a sight of mass destruction. 

Detection Skills

She was instantly made to wear her protective gear before proceeding to work her way through the collapsed buildings amidst the rubble in order to find bodies. It was only because of her exceptional detection skill that the officials were able to find the body of a Juchitan police officer and numerous other civilians among the debris. But, Frida and the navy personnel were not relaxed as they knew that there was still a lot more work left to do However, there was still a lot more work to do.

Working Together

After successfully completing the rescue operation in the state of Oaxaca, Frida was on her way to Mexico City. The Mexican navy was confident that Frida would help them significantly here too after seeing her showcasing her skill in Oaxaca. But, this time Frida was not alone in her rescuing spree leading the pack consisting of fourteen other rescue dogs who were assigned the task of finding as many bodies as possible. The loss of life was huge here as it was reported that there were at least 305 people dead. Amidst these traumatic sights, Frida vigilantly looked for survivors.

Her Coworkers

While explaining about the canine unit with a special emphasis on Frida, her handler explained that Frida’s co-worker her two Belgian Malinois coworkers, Evil and Echo helped her significantly. Since both of them are younger than Frida they go first into any collapsed building. It is after they detect a person that Frida arrives at the scene to give a final confirmation, barking at the sign of any life.

A Star

As previously told that when it came to conducting rescue operation in Mexico City Frida was not the only dog doing so. But, something happened that made Frida come under limelight unlike other dogs after completion of the operation of rescuing bodies from the rubble site. What was it that made her so special? Take a look at some of the possible theories centered around the worldwide fame that Frida enjoys.

One Tweet

Frida’s road to fame started from a simple tweet that was shared by the Mexican Navy’s official Twitter account. The image you see is in front of you is of the same tweet. As evident, it was a photo collage displaying Frida in action, putting in hard work in order to sniff out bodies using her exceptional ability. One can clearly understand the effort that this dog puts in and the extent to which it goes in order to complete the task assigned. It didn’t take much time for this tweet to go viral firstly in Mexico and eventually, across the world.

Doing Numbers

Now, it was not just the Mexican community who were praising the valiant dog on the social media. The tweet became so popular that it was becoming popular on its own needing no effort from anyone to share and promote it. Anyone who saw the post felt inspired and became an ardent fan of this dog. Undoubtedly, her work deserved this. But, it was a tweet from a particular and significant personality which escalated the twitter post and the fame of the dog to a completely different level.

The President

It was a tweet from the office of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto that the name “Frida” became a worldwide sensation. The office tweeted thanks pointing towards her picture showing massive respect and recognition of the hard work and the value that the Labrador added to the Mexican Navy. Though this post had already taken social media by storm, recognition from the President’s office itself added a sense of patriotism and respect towards it. But, this was just an initiation of the insane popularity and applause that Frida was going to receive.

Shared Online

It was a result of tweets like the one being told before and several others which eventually blew up the tweet being put by Navy originally. You can get an idea of the extent to which the tweet had become famous from the fact that it received 4,000 retweets and 7,000 likes. Everyone was going crazy over the dog and doing stuff which you would be hard to believe for you at the very first instant. This little labrador who was risking her life for a noble cause had made a place in everyone’s heart.

The Presidential Tweet

Not only the original tweet consisting of Frida’s pictures, but, the President’s tweet also started to pull in big numbers and garner attention as well. The tweet read: “This is Frida. She belongs to SEMAR and has helped save 52 lives in various natural disasters at national and international levels.” This tweet received more than 11k retweets and around 6,300 likes.

Lots Of Fans

It seemed that the craze of Frida would never end and would go on at the same pace as it had been going on for months. People started calling her “a symbol of hope” and a “hero,” and believe me they meant each and every word of it. Not only this, there were many who offered to send her more boots if there was a need. Well, Frida was no ordinary dog neither were rest of the dogs in the unit and had plenty to wear while going on rescue operations.

 Fan Comments

Some of the most notable comments left by fans are,”She should rest a little. She has worked a lot. God take care of you, your work is not easy,” one user wrote. Another comment stated, “Now you know why they say that dogs are man’s best friend.” These comments are enough to show the level of respect and love Frida was getting from anyone who saw the post on social media. Not only through comments, there were other crazy ways too by which people were praising the dog’s work.

The heartthrob of the Nation

Yes, the image you see in front of you is real. I am sure you would be wondering about the impact that this dog has had on the hearts of people. Most importantly, on the lives of the people who she saved from falling into the pit of death by unselfishly risking her life through dangers. Mind you, this tattoo is a permanent one. One thing I am sure of is that the level of crazy in the next slide will surely blow your mind!!

Frida For Prez

If tattoos and comments on the twitter post were not enough for you to realize the sensation that Frida had become, then take a look at this. Some people came up with a crazy idea and commented “Frida for president.” One man even went to the extent of saying that Frida’s image should replace that of painter Diego Rivera on the 500-peso note. The image you are looking at right now is the photoshopped version of the note sent tweeted by the same man.

 Still Working

The sudden fame has not deviated Frida from doing what she does the best which is saving lives. She remains dedicated to her work and unit and still works for the Mexican Navy. She along with her team was sent on to the earthquake affected areas in order to find out more bodies even after four days of its occurrence.

Older

Frida is older when compared to other dogs present in the canine unit. This is the prime reason that she is not the first one to be sent into a potentially dangerous situation as with age she has acquired experience which is invaluable for the army. The younger pups are the first sent in order to confirm the presence of anybody. It is after this that Frida goes there in order to double check using her expertise.

Specific Response

Frida is a highly trained dog. She is taught to give specific responses in her training. For example, a bark indicates the sign of human life. But, in the instance of discovering a cadaver, the dogs stop in their tracks and carefully proceed further.

 Indications

“They act afraid,” Frida’s handler, Israel Arauz Salinas stated. “That indicates to us that there is a cadaver.” Well, any amount of thanks is less for the officials providing training and obviously, the devotion of the dogs who selflessly risk their lives in order to significantly help the community. You will be surprised to know that Frida also runs training courses for newly recruited dogs.

Continued Work

Currently, the Mexican Army is utilizing Frida’s skill in the best way possible which is to find bodies after tragedies such as the one we have talked about in this article. Unlike some unlucky dogs, her efforts have earned the recognition that she deserves.