It’s being reported that Proteo, a German shepherd from Mexico who was sent to Turkey to help with earthquake relief efforts, died while performing his duties as a rescue dog.
“Thank you [Proteo] for your heroic work,” the account for Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) reads. “You accomplished the mission.”
Proteo was one of the search and rescue dogs sent with soldiers from SEDENA to find survivors of the earthquake. “The members of the Mexican Army and Air Force profoundly regret the loss of our great team member, the dog Proteo,” SEDENA said in a statement.
SEDENA also posted comments on its TikTok page from one of the soldiers who worked with Proteo during the rescue mission.
“I want to tell you that I am proud of you because you were always a strong dog, a hardworking dog that never gave up,” the soldier said. “I’ll always remember you. I hope that all of Mexico will never forget you. We’ll see each other again someday.”
A representative for the Mexican Red Cross said that Proteo died during a collapse of a structure that he went into to search for victims.
In 2017, a yellow Labrador Retriever from Mexico named Frida went viral after a video showed her searching for survivors of an earthquake in Mexico City while wearing custom-made protective goggles and boots. Frida retired in 2019. She died of natural causes late last year.
Rest easy, Proteo.