A hard-working dog who saved 12 people’s lives got her very own statue.
A horrific earthquake in Mexico City in September 2017 resulted in hundreds of casualties, when it reached a magnitude of 7.1.
Nearly 400 people died as a result, and following the disaster, a heroic Labrador retriever, named Frida, helped rescue people who’d been affected by the disaster.
Develan estatua en honor de #Frida, la perrita rescatista, y de su cuidador el maestre Israel Arauz
??? pic.twitter.com/4SA6WfiHrh— Alicia Salgado (@allizesalgado) July 19, 2018
Frida belongs to the Mexican navy’s canine unit, and searched through the rubble after the disaster. She was credited with saving 12 people’s lives, and a bronze statue has since been erected in her honour.
Pictures of the dog and her statue were shared on Twitter.
The caption read:
Unveiling statue in honor of #Frida, the rescue dog, and his caretaker the master Israel Arauz [sic]
The dog came face to face with the statue, which stands in an ecological park in Puebla City. She pressed her nose up against it, seemingly investigating and gave her look-a-like a good ol’ sniff.
Frida attended the ceremony in a jacket, protective goggles and little boots – matching the uniform of the statue.
The bronze version of Frida stands next to one of her trainer, Israel Arauz, and a plaque in front of the figures reads:
Memorable symbols of the strength Mexicans can have when we decide to come together for great causes.
A number of dogs were reportedly sent out on the rescue mission, but Frida proved most popular on social media.
Mr Captain America himself, actor Chris Evans showed his appreciation for the dog, retweeting a video of her and adding the caption:
What did we do to deserve dogs?
What did we do to deserve dogs? https://t.co/JbVPd3eeZ1
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) September 23, 2017
The dog has held a place in people’s hearts, and many are thrilled to hear she now has her own statue.
One Twitter user wrote:
Remember #Frida? #RescueDog of the 7.1 earthquake last year in #Mexico? She got her statue and for the looks of it she loves it! #Hero [sic]
Another added:
#Frida the rescue #dog and her coach Israel Arauz are honored with a statue in Mexico for their rescue efforts in the aftermath of the #MexicoCity #Earthquake Gracias, Frida! [sic]
Remember #Frida? #RescueDog of the 7.1 earthquake last year in #Mexico? She got her statue and for the looks of it she loves it!#Hero ???#doglovers #dogstagram pic.twitter.com/Wkfegg6YIj
— Maggie González (@emaglem) July 20, 2018
Frida has also been immortalised in a mural outside Mexico City.
According to Associated Press, the clever eight-year-old dog has assisted in several rescue missions in her six-year career, her ability evident from a young age.
The dog reportedly had all the key qualities of a good search dog, including an instinct for hunting and a strong sense of smell.
Frida could move on to mentoring younger dogs as she grows older, but for now, she’s still putting her nose to good use as she works for the Mexican navy.
#Frida the rescue #dog and her coach Israel Arauz are honored with a statue in Mexico for their rescue efforts in the aftermath of the #MexicoCity #Earthquake Gracias, Frida! pic.twitter.com/ZG73TMWuAM
— Catherine Schutte (@CathySchutte) July 20, 2018
When her career comes to an end, the Lab will be offered up for adoption to navy personnel – I can imagine a lot of people will be happy to take Frida on, but they might have some competition from one of her handlers, Emmanuel Hernandez.
He said:
If someone asks me if I would want to take Frida, I would say yes. But we will have Frida for a long time yet.
Frida and her fellow dogs are all represented through the statue – and they certainly deserve it for all their hard work.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.