As Los Angeles County Fire Department’s (LACoFD) Urban Search and Rescue teams continue to sift through rubble in Venezuela to save people trapped following powerful earthquakes, the crews’ K-9s are offering a dose of comfort to people impacted by the disaster.
In a touching social media post, LACoFD shared images of the teams’ K-9s sharing sweet moments with crew members and Venezuelans. The department described the four-legged rescue members’ presence as an “unspoken language of comfort.”
“A simple, quiet moment of connection—a wagging tail or a gentle nudge—can provide a beacon of hope when it is needed most,” the department said online.
While a search and rescue K9’s primary job is saving lives, their role doesn’t end when the search stops.
Amidst the rubble and devastation of a disaster, these remarkable dogs offer an unspoken language of comfort. A simple, quiet moment of connection—a wagging tail or a… pic.twitter.com/BrESydcwlO
— LACoFD (@LACOFD) July 2, 2026
Venezuela’s northern state of La Guaira was struck by powerful back-to-back temblors on June 24, with both 7+-magnitude earthquakes occurring less than a minute apart. As of Monday, more than 1,700 people died in the disaster and crews from all over the world are working tirelessly to help rescue those who are still alive.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived in Venezuela on Friday as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) response team. Joining the local firefighters are the Virginia Task Force 1 USAR team and a crew from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team.
All three USAR teams present in Venezuela make up 312 members and 18 K-9 teams. They traveled with more than 200,000 pounds of specialized equipment to help with their operations.