Tsunami’s retirement from search-and-rescue duty was marked with a bronze monument in Maracaibo, Venezuela. (Photo: tnx.africa)
The nine-year-old Border Collie, once a neglected stray in Caracas, has been recognised in Maracaibo after helping emergency teams find disaster survivors.
Tsunami, a nine-year-old Border Collie whose search-and-rescue career took him from Venezuela to overseas disaster zones, has been honoured with a bronze statue as he retires from active duty.
According to TNX Africa, officials unveiled the monument at Vereda del Lago Park in Maracaibo to recognise the dog’s work alongside emergency responders. The tribute also included civic honours presented during a ceremony attended by Tsunami and his handler, Jorge Beens.
From Caracas stray to rescue canine
Before joining a disaster response team, Tsunami lived on the streets of Caracas. He was severely malnourished when animal rescuers took him in and helped restore his health, the report said.
Beens recognised qualities that would later become central to the dog’s working life: intelligence, energy and a willingness to take on tasks. He trained Tsunami for urban search-and-rescue operations with the K-SAR ECID disaster response team.
The move into specialist training marked a significant change for a dog that had previously struggled to survive. It also began a working partnership with Beens that would continue through emergency deployments and into the retirement ceremony.
Searching for survivors in disaster zones
During his career, Tsunami accompanied emergency crews into dangerous areas where buildings had collapsed and people were trapped beneath rubble. His sense of smell and agility helped responders search through the wreckage.
TNX Africa reports that, following earthquakes in Venezuela, Tsunami helped rescuers locate at least 26 survivors beneath concrete, broken brickwork and collapsed structures. That figure reflects the work for which he was recognised on retirement.
His assignments were not limited to Venezuela. Tsunami and Beens also joined humanitarian response efforts in Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes of 2023, extending their work beyond their home country.
Across those deployments, Tsunami worked as part of a wider emergency response, helping crews identify where survivors could be found in hazardous conditions.
‘Guardian of Hope’ marks retirement
The Maracaibo monument, titled “Guardian of Hope”, was created by Venezuelan sculptor Jose Benjamin Figueroa. It portrays Tsunami wearing his tactical rescue equipment, linking the tribute directly to his years of operational service.
The artwork also captures his distinctive appearance, including his heterochromia, or differently coloured eyes, one of which is blue, according to the report.
At the unveiling, local officials and the fire department presented Tsunami with the city’s Medal of Valor and Honor of Merit. Beens stood alongside the retired rescue dog as his contribution was recognised.
The statue gives Tsunami a permanent tribute in Vereda del Lago Park, commemorating a career that began after his own rescue from the streets of Caracas.
