SEDENA

The Mexican Army held a memorial service for Proteo, a search and rescue dog who died during an aid mission to Turkey.

It has been more than 10 days since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The death toll had risen to some 42,000 people as of Thursday when search-and-rescue teams Mexico had sent to deliver aid began to return home. But one of the K-9 rescuers died on the mission.

The Mexican Army held a memorial Thursday welcoming the rescue dog, Proteo, back to Mexico and paying homage to his service.

A 9-year-old German Shepherd, Proteo had trained and worked as a rescue dog since he was 4 months old. He helped with post-disaster search efforts in Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala and Ecuador, and was sent to Turkey because of his skills and experience. There, he helped rescue one minor and recover 14 bodies from the rubble, according to officials.

Proteo died from the harsh conditions and extreme cold, his handler Carlos Villeda Marquez said.

Mexico’s search and rescue dogs have become icons since the 2017 Mexico City earthquake. Proteo’s death caused some to question why a dog of his age was sent on an intense international mission.