120 dog owners ready to join mmda rescue ops

Over a hundred dog owners and their dogs have been trained by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help the agency in its search and rescue operations should disaster strike.

MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos said that 120 volunteers and their dogs participated in their K-9 disaster response training on Saturday. The program aims to prepare them to help the agency should a strong tremor emanating from the West Valley Fault affect the capital.

Earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that should the “Big One” strike, it would leave around 34,000 people dead and 100,000 others injured because of numerous collapsed buildings and other structures. Through the K-9 training, Orbos said the MMDA could tap the dog owners to help rescue or retrieve persons trapped or buried under the buildings.

“We are very grateful for their participation in this kind of lifesaving endeavor and we continuously call on people to volunteer for training in search and rescue. They will play a vital part in the disaster response efforts of the government,” Orbos said in a statement.

Except for toy dogs, any breed can become part of their volunteer K-9 group, the MMDA said. The training, conducted every Saturday at the MMDA Napindan Hydraulic Control Center in Makati City, requires that dogs regularly train with their handlers. They should also be vaccinated.