Search and rescue teams from Croatia went south to Albania to help people in the damage that happened after the recent earthquake that hit the country.
On the team, there weren’t just experienced people, but rescue dogs too. These dogs are trained to seek, track, and rescue. They’re a part of the HUOOP of Croatia.
The HUOPP has 15 active search teams that are made up of a guide and their search dog.
Since they’re members of the IRO, they need to take some of the hardest exams on the International Mission Readiness Test in order to acquire the needed licenses for international missions.
Brave People & Brave Dogs Came to Albania to Help
The HUOPP also specialize in searching in urban areas like big disasters, including earthquakes. So, they were the ideal rescuers for this occasion where a lot of people are trapped underneath the destroyed buildings.
They achieve this through different types of exercises and trainings, as well as simulations of real-life events and actions.
The rescue dogs that were sent to Albania were Tanda, Gizmo, Inu, Farhana, and Dharma. They’re all between 3 and 8 years and have been specially trained for this type of search and rescue work since they were puppies.
The teams from Croatia responded to a mobilization call by the Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia and within several hours, they were already ready and in flying to the location of the earthquake.
The HUOPP teams are highly trained and always on standby.
If you want to learn more about these teams’ mission and daily activities, check out their Facebook page!
Albanian Earthquake Destroyed Entire Homes & Took Lives
Sadly, the 5.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the coast of Albania injured around 650 people and many were pronounced dead or missing.
The shake was felt throughout the Balkans, as well as in the Italian region of Puglia.
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