Venezuela gifts rescue dogs to Mexican army for earthquake aid

The interim Venezuelan president, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, led a ceremony in Caracas on 8 July 2026 in which three Belgian Malinois puppies – a cachorra and two others named Sol and Sara – were donated to the Mexican Army’s humanitarian group “Yumare.” The donation acknowledges Mexico’s deployment of army, air‑force and National Guard teams that aided search‑and‑rescue operations after the double earthquake that struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026.

Mexican rescuers, including a USAR heavy‑level team from the Cruz Roja and specialist dog‑handler units, rescued survivors, located victims, and received medals for their work. Mexico has already sent 84 tonnes of food, medicine and emergency power plants, with two additional ships en route, and signalled it will provide further assistance if requested. As part of the bilateral cooperation, two Venezuelan civil‑protection handlers and their dogs will be trained in Mexico’s Military Police canine‑training centre from August to December 2026.

The gesture follows previous exchanges, such as Turkey’s 2023 gift of the dog Arkadas to Mexico after the loss of the Mexican rescue dog Proteo, symbolising ongoing humanitarian partnership between the two nations.