A fierce lady Labrador joined the Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) squad on a mission called ‘Operation Dost’, rushing to save and support those affected by a mind-blowing 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Turkey and neighbouring Syria on February 6. Little hero Julie, a six-year-old canine from NDRF, received a commendation certificate for her incredible nose skills. She sniffed out a little girl trapped under rubble during the devastating earthquake in Turkey, aiding the rescuers in saving her life.
Julie has received the ‘director general’s commendation role’ for her outstanding search and rescue efforts during this operation. A senior officer said she was chosen for this honour for the specific role she played in sniffing out life among the ruins of a multi-storey structure, which led to the rescue of six-year-old Beren, who had been trapped for more than 70 hours.
Beren was rescued from the Gaziantep district of Turkey, and although Julie initially signalled the presence of a live victim, her colleague Romeo, a male Labrador canine, confirmed the presence of life by his barking.
Julie is assigned to the NDRF’s 2nd battalion, which is stationed in Kolkata.