The dog scoured boulders and rubble in Taiwan’s national parks, looking for victims trapped or buried by a 7.4-magnitude landslide. earthquake.
Roger the Labrador retriever stopped, sniffed, and then moved on. But then he turned around and sniffed again, looking confused.
Roger is trained to find survivors, but his agent Li Xinhong suspects he’s found something else this time. He crawled over to where Roger stood.
“As I got closer, I saw the deceased’s legs,” Lee said in an interview.
Roger’s discovery on Saturday prompted rescue workers to recover the body of a 21-year-old woman from the rubble, bringing the death toll from Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years to 13. More than 1,000 people were also injured in the disaster (but technically) architecture Regulations and public preparedness may help prevent larger disasters).
In the days since, Roger was one of four search and rescue dogs deployed at the Kaohsiung Fire Department. Hualien Taroko National Park, has become an unexpected star in the recovery effort. His playful antics, along with his background as a failed drug-sniffing dog, captured people’s hearts and provided lighthearted moments to a country still reeling from the devastation.
During a press conference, he tried to bite a reporter’s microphone. Another time, when Mr. Li praised his bravery, he tore open a stuffed toy and scattered the stuffing on the floor.
Lee said Roger had been trained to sniff out drugs for customs, but he failed the program for being “too friendly and boisterous.” When Roger was one year old, Mr. Li selected him from among many rejected puppies to be part of the Kaohsiung emergency response team. His behavior ended his drug-sniffing career, leading Mr. Lee to think Roger would make an excellent search and rescue dog.
“He was very agile, his movements were very bold and he didn’t let anything wrap around him,” Mr Lee said. “He thinks he can overcome anything,” he added, and is not intimidated by heights or unfamiliar locations.
Since Roger became famous, he has been called “little hero“Reported by Taiwanese media Appear on a talk show to show off his skills.
Roger’s fame was likely short-lived. Mr. Li said that according to the policy of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, he will retire at the age of 9 in the second half of this year.
“After all, he is old,” Mr. Li said Tell A local reporter said, “After the search and rescue, when he jumped into the car, he was a little unsteady, so I had to help him.”
