Proteo Dies During Earthquake Victim Rescue Operation, Turkey Sends German Shepherd Dog To Mexico

JAKARTA - The Turkish government sent a German runut to Mexico, as a sign of gratitude for sending a highly trained sniffer dog to help search and rescue efforts, following the deadly earthquake in February.

Ankara said they hoped the puppy would "inherit the legacy" of Proteo, one of the Mexican dogs sent to Turkey but later died while carrying out a post-empare humanitarian mission.

Mexico's Ministry of National Defense welcomed the puppy's arrival on Tuesday, by posting photos of the dog waiting patiently to "step on its feet on Mexican soil for the first time".

Prior to his arrival, the Ministry of Defense created a poll on Twitter asking people to choose the dog's name: Proteo II, Arkadas, or Yardim. Arkadas, which means a friend in Turkish, seems to be a favorite.

This puppy has big footprints to continue: the nine-year-old Proteo has saved at least two people while in Turkey, where he died of stress from long flights and cold temperatures, his handler said.

¡Estás en casa!, Bienvenido a México, tu nuevo hogar.¡G R A C I A S! #TurquíaNo olvides ser parte de esto, ¡Déjanos tu V O T O!https://t.co/7oBkwOoXiQ#EjércitoMexicano #FuerzaAéreaMx #CachorritoTurco #UnidosSomosLaGranFuerzaDeMéxico. pic.twitter.com/kqS7rTQp5i

— @SEDENAmx (@SEDENAmx) May 2, 2023

¡Estás en casa!, Bienvenido a México, tu nuevo hogar.¡G R A C I A S! #TurquíaNo olvides ser parte de esto, ¡Déjanos tu V O T O!https://t.co/7oBkwOoXiQ#EjércitoMexicano #FuerzaAéreaMx #CachorritoTurco #UnidosSomosLaGranFuerzaDeMéxico. pic.twitter.com/kqS7rTQp5i

His body was returned to Mexico, where he received respect at an emotional ceremony.

"We say goodbye to a great hero," the Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter after his death.

"Let's pay a proper tribute to our partner Proteo," continued the ministry.

A city in Istanbul was deeply touched by Proteo's sacrifice, thus announcing plans to establish a statue in its honor.

"Proteo came from Mexico, moved away, and came to save our citizens under the rubble... on land he never knew, and he did," said Sariyer Mayor Sukru Genc, according to a statement issued by the city government.

"Proteo is now one of the names where we owe our gratitude," he said.

Mexico itself is an area that often experiences earthquakes. In 1985, about 10,000 people died in the country's most devastating earthquake, while more than 600 people were killed and thousands injured in the earthquake in 2017.

However, Mexico is also known for its sniffer dogs and civilian search and rescue troops, Topos, or Moles. The Mexican military and Topos, along with their trained dogs, often travel to other disaster-hit countries to lend their hand.

Perhaps the most famous Mexican sniffer dog is the yellow Labrador Frida, whose efforts during the 2017 earthquake saved the lives of many people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Frida died in November 2022.