Taiwan rescue dog qualifies for international operations

台灣救援犬符合國際救援行動資格

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hero, a search-and-rescue dog from the Hualien County Fire Department, has passed Taiwan’s Mission Readiness Test, qualifying the dog to take part in rescue missions with the International Rescue Dog Organisation.

The department said the test is one of the most challenging exercises in search-and-rescue dog training, simulating real disaster conditions, per CNA. It includes rubble searches, navigating uneven terrain, scent discrimination, low-light operations, and human-dog coordinated tasks. The test evaluates the teamwork between the dog and handler over a continuous 36-hour mission.

Hero has been trained since puppyhood in basic obedience and environmental awareness, progressing to courses simulating unstable terrain, dark and narrow spaces, and collapsed buildings. Handler Wang Tse-wei (王澤偉) practiced with the dog under harsh weather conditions and among rubble. The pair passed all components of the test.

In addition to Hero, around 15 other dogs in Taiwan have also passed the test. At the test opening event held Saturday in Nantou, Deputy Home Minister Wu Tang-an (吳堂安) said the ministry will continue introducing AI positioning technology to help rescue dogs and their handlers work more effectively and stay safe.

During the earthquake in Hualien in April 2024 and the severe flooding and mudslide in Guangfu Township in September, caused by the overflow of Mataian barrier lake, the county’s search-and-rescue dogs joined relief efforts. Hero and Fancy, also a Hualien rescue dog, waded through thick mud and water at the barrier lake overflow site, using their sense of smell to locate trapped residents.

Wilson, another of Hualien’s rescue dogs, earned an intermediate certification from the International Rescue Dog Organisation in 2023 and helped locate two victims during the Hualien earthquake. However, he died in June after falling from the third floor during a training exercise.

With two search-and-rescue dogs remaining, Hero and Fancy, both around four to five years old, the county’s rescue team has applied to bring in an additional dog to assist with operations.