Romanian rescue dogs help search for victims of earthquake in Albania

Challapa and Billy, two specially trained utility dogs from Romania, are helping help-and-rescue teams find victims of the earthquake in Albania. The dogs participate in the mission with their owners Vlad Popescu and Romică Chințoi, both volunteers at the Utility Dogs Club (CCU) in Bucharest.

Romania has sent search-and-rescue teams to Albania on Tuesday afternoon, November 26, after the country was hit by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that left 40 people dead. The service dogs have been helping intervention teams find the bodies of victims trapped in the rubble.

“It is a difficult mission for us, this being practically the club’s first real intervention in case of earthquake. There have also been numerous aftershocks that have put us in difficulty because there are many buildings that are severely damaged and could collapse at any moment,” said Vlad Popescu, founder of the Utility Dogs Club.

Forty people died and hundreds of people have been injured in the earthquake, according to BBC. Rescue teams from Romania, Serbia, Italy, France, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey and Croatia are helping with the search of victims.

(Photo source: Clubul Cainilor Utilitari)