In February, Turkey was rocked by several massive earthquakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.8, and is therefore regarded as one of the country’s most severe natural disasters.

When news broke on 6 February that an extremely severe earthquake had struck the country in the early hours of Monday morning, rescue teams from around the world sprang into action. A particularly large number of search-and-rescue teams arrived in Turkey from Hungary, determined to save as many lives as possible. They were not only heroic individuals, but also talented, well-trained rescue dogs They also arrived at the scene of the tragedy and went above and beyond the call of duty. They worked in shifts under appalling conditions, which were extremely dangerous for them too.

What do rescue dogs do?

The rescue teams arriving at the scene They rely primarily on reports from local residents, and their main task is to help those who can be rescued most easily.

„Victims found at the edge of a ruin are generally easier to locate, and the task of search dogs is also simpler in such cases, as there is usually air movement, meaning they can pick up scents more easily. As the dogs move further into the buildings, their task becomes more difficult; solid floors and walls allow odours to pass through less easily, and airtight cavities and spaces may also form.” – Tibor Vincellér had previously stated, a dog handler with the HUBA Rescue 24 rescue team of the Baptist Charity Service, told our newspaper.

The dogs search the rubble, and if they give an alert, technical rescue teams then examine the site. A rescue operation like this can take hours, in a small, confined, unstable space filled with rubble – conditions that many of us cannot even imagine.

For the rescue teams, it is extremely demanding, both physically and mentally the work was demanding, but fortunately, many people owe their lives to these two- and four-legged heroes.

A welcome fit for heroes

Our country sent a total of eight rescue teams and 15 dogs to the scene to rescue the victims from under the rubble. On Monday, Gundel Restaurant and the Turkish Embassy thanked them all for their work with a heroes’ lunch.

Speakers at the event included the Turkish Ambassador, Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, and Azbej Tristan, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for programmes supporting persecuted Christians. The latter recounted that a Turkish member of the public had asked, with some curiosity, whether Hungary was a major power, given that it had sent so many aid workers. The answer – that it was not – took him somewhat by surprise, after which he remarked: so it is that after all. ‘A small country with a huge heart,’ added Tristan Azbej.

Gendel Restaurant has always been renowned not only for offering its guests a refined and authentic dining experience, but also for its warm and friendly welcome. A fine example of this is Gundel Kert, which opened last year, which has been specifically designed to be child- and dog-friendly, and they’ve even prepared a special menu for the dogs.

A little repeat, a game and a bow tie

The heroic rescue dogs also got to enjoy this meal, having waited patiently for the two-legged friends to finish their lunch. (Some of them even went back for seconds.) It was heart-warming to see that, whilst these dogs save lives and possess extraordinary abilities, they are still just dogs, in the very best sense of the word. They would lift their heads at the approach of a waiter, accompanying their owners’ tastier morsels with soft whimpers and, at times, pleading glances, or simply pass the time playing with their favourite toys. Such were Dexter and Karma, who are not only colleagues (they have saved 17 lives), but—as evident from the way they shared a toy—are clearly good friends in everyday life too. Karma, incidentally, is one of the world’s most talented rescue dogs; last summer became world champion in ruin exploration with Sarolta Leczki.