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In heartbreaking news, Mexican Defense Minister Luis Cresencio announced that Proteo, a Mexican rescue dog, who was sent to Turkey as a member of a dog squad, passed away while looking for the survivors buried under the rubble of the earthquake that hit Turkey.
Defense Minister Luis Cresencio announced the rescue dog's death at President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's daily news conference on Sunday, February 12.
As soon as the news of the rescue dog's death came to light, tributes started pouring in. Twitter user, @sitivmc, shared several pictures of the dog and thanked him for his support to Turkey during this disaster.
The rescue dog passed away on Sunday, February 12, after he performed his duties in Adıyaman, one of the 10 cities affected by the earthquakes. According to a report by Daily Sabah, the German Shepherd helped save at least two people before being severely injured in the line of duty.
The Mexican Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) released an official statement that said:
"As members of the Mexican Army and Air Force, we are deeply saddened by the loss of our great comrade, the dog named Proteo. You accomplished your mission. Thank you for your heroic work."
Social media users pay tribute to Proteo, the rescue dog
The Mexican Ministry of National Defense shared a video in which they remembered the rescue dog. In the video, a soldier can be seen paying tribute to the heroic dog. The soldier says:
"I want to tell you that I am proud of you because you were always a strong dog, a hardworking dog that never gave up."
Turkish graphic designer Burak Türker also shared an Instagram post that read (translated via Google):
"Thanks for everything Proteo. We are grateful to you for finding our voice, our brothers and our loved ones. We will never forget you.”
Soon after, the post went viral, and #Proteo started trending on Twitter. Netizens thanked the rescue dog for his services and called him a hero.
Last week, Mexico dispatched more than a dozen rescue dogs along with 130 military personnel after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 35,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
