Rescue dog Tsunami honored with bronze statue and medals as he retires “at the top of his game”

Venezuela has unveiled a bronze statue of Tsunami, the search and rescue dog who became the face of the country’s earthquake response. The sculpture stands in Vereda del Lago park in Maracaibo, with a plaque naming him “Guardián de la esperanza,” or guardian of hope. Mayor Giancarlo Di Martino called him “a true hero” at the ceremony, awarding him the Honor Button of Merit, the Medal of Valor and the city fire department’s insignia. When two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 just 39 seconds apart, the pair went straight into the rubble, with Tsunami credited with helping find dozens of people trapped beneath it.