From sniffing to soothing: Dogs offer emotional support at Bangkok collapse site

Record ID: 1987694

  • Title: From sniffing to soothing: Dogs offer emotional support at Bangkok collapse site
  • Date: 2nd April 2025
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (APRIL 2, 2025) (REUTERS) DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THAILAND RESCUE DOG ASSOCIATION, ALONGKOT CHUKAEW (LEFT), STANDING NEXT TO SENIOR K9 HANDLER AND LEAD TRAINING INSTRUCTOR, SUSAN REDMOND (RIGHT), ALONG WITH K9 DOGS / ALONGKOT, SUSAN, AND DOGS WALKING TO TEMPORARY SHELTER ALONGKOT, SUSAN AND DOGS ENTERING SHELTER ALONGKOT COMMANDING DOG TO BARK / DOG BARKING IN
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: CANINE DOGS Earthquake K9 Myanmar Thailand collapsed construction emotional support quake relatives search site tremor
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • City: BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Disaster/Accidents,Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunami
  • Reuters ID: LVA001348602042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: From sniffing for signs of life beneath a mountain of rubble to easing the emotional toll on families, rescue dogs at the collapsed building site in Bangkok shifted roles on Wednesday (April 2), brought in to offer comfort as the search entered its fifth day.
    Inside a temporary shelter, two golden retrievers—covered in soft fur and wearing light-up vests—were met by families of the missing. Children patted their heads. Some relatives spoke softly to the dogs, as if they could carry their hopes into the rubble.
    Chanpen Keawnoi, whose mother and younger sister remain missing, said the brief interaction brought a small sense of comfort.
    “They said as long as the dog keeps barking when it hears a signal, there’s still a chance someone could be alive,” she told Reuters.
    Officials said the dogs—normally used to detect both survivors and bodies—were temporarily reassigned to help ease the emotional strain while rescue teams awaited further instruction.
    “A dog has amazing powers,” said Susan Redmond, a senior K9 handler and lead training instructor. “Touching a dog really gives some nice relief for these people, so it’s a good emotional support.”
    The search and rescue operation in Bangkok has stretched beyond 100 hours, with 22 confirmed deaths nationwide and 72 people still missing as of 6:00 a.m. (2300 GMT), according to official updates.
    In Myanmar, over 2,700 deaths have been reported as a result of a powerful earthquake that struck the country on Friday (March 28).
    (Production: Minh Nguyen, Thomas Suen, Napat Wesshasartar)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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