Amid fears that she’d died, accusations of sabotage and demands for the flag to be flown at half-mast, Frida the famous rescue dog appeared before cameras on Monday to prove she’s alive and well, living out a gratifying retirement, albeit with eyes drooping and moving at a slower pace.
The 12-year-old yellow Labrador is best known for her participation in search efforts following the powerful September 19, 2017, earthquake that devastated Mexico City and other parts of central Mexico.
Frida officially retired in 2019 after nine years of service.
In her distinguished career of public service, she was also involved in the search for earthquake victims in Haiti in 2010, in Ecuador in 2016 and in Juchitán, Oaxaca, in September 2017.
In addition, she searched for landslide victims in Guatemala in 2012 and looked for people buried under rubble after an explosion at the Pemex tower in Mexico City in early 2013.
All told, Frida is credited with finding 12 people alive – all of whom were victims of the Haiti quake – and 41 bodies.
However, fears that Frida had died were not completely unfounded. Her search partner Nalah, a 10-year-old Golden Retriever, died on March 24 and was confused for Frida by some social media users. Nalah also helped in search operations after the 2013 Pemex explosion and in the 2017 earthquake, locating at least 17 people.
The veterinary specialist who looks after Frida, Miguel Ángel Huerta Miranda, said health problems meant the Labrador has had to face the troubles of old age. “Frida is a geriatric animal. Next month, she will hopefully be 13 years old. She already has the ailments of her age, like joint problems, which are degenerative,” he said.
Nevertheless, Huerta added that the pup was enjoying a well-earned rest. “She’s in retirement and no longer performs any operational work. She no longer trains, she just relaxes and takes a routine that doesn’t involve stress,” he said.
Frida was honored with a statue in her likeness in Puebla in 2018 and there is a mural dedicated to her in Roma, a Mexico City neighborhood that was hit hard by the 2017 earthquake, depicting the beloved Labrador as a saint-like figure.
With reports from Milenio
