Dog who helped Polish rescuers save Turkey quake victims receiving treatment after heroic week

A dog that assisted Polish rescuers in saving victims of this month’s earthquakes in Turkey has returned home for treatment by veterinarians in Poland.

The four-year-old golden retriever, named Orion, worked as part of the Polish HUSAR rescue team that was dispatched to Turkey less than 24 hours after the first earthquake struck.

The team, made up of 76 firefighters and eight dogs, returned to Poland last week after helping to locate and save 12 people from the rubble.

Upon his return, Orion was examined at the veterinary clinic of the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, where he is now being treated for fatigue and an injured paw.

“The dog is weakened, has lost a lot of weight and has a wounded paw. He’s been working hard for many days, but we’ll take care of him and he’ll be back in full form,” said the clinic’s Maciej Grzegory, quoted by broadcaster TVP.

Orion’s handler, Captain Albert Kościński, has praised the role his dog played in helping rescuers locate trapped people.

“It was seven days of work from morning to evening, in difficult conditions, but from almost every place that Orion indicated where [someone] might be alive under the rubble, rescuers then pulled people out, said Kościński.

“I want Orion to be properly cared for. He is my friend who has been through a lot in the last few days,” added the firefighter. After his recovery, the dog will be “involved in many more operations and will save many more lives”.

Orion’s treatment at the veterinary clinic is part of an agreement between the university and the fire brigade, water rescue service and mountain rescue service, under which rescue dogs can receive free specialist care at the facility.

More than 44,000 people are confirmed to have been killed across southern Turkey and northern Syria as a result of the earthquakes and their aftershocks. Poland was one of many countries that sent specialist teams to assist in rescue and recovery missions in the devasted region.

Main image credit: Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu / Facebook 

Anna Hackett

Anna Hackett is an assistant editor at Notes from Poland. She is a recent graduate of European Studies from Trinity College Dublin and has had previous journalistic experience with the Irish Independent News & Media group.