For years, Tsunami moved through some of Venezuela’s most dangerous disaster zones searching for something almost impossible to see: signs of life beneath concrete and rubble. Now, after a career that took him from a difficult beginning to international rescue missions, the Border Collie has been given a permanent place in the city where his story entered a new chapter.
The tribute is more than a statue. It marks the retirement of a rescue dog whose distinctive blue-and-brown eyes became familiar in disaster footage and whose work brought him into the middle of major emergencies in Venezuela and beyond. But Tsunami’s journey to that moment began long before the bronze monument was unveiled.
From an abandoned dog to a trained disaster responder
Tsunami’s story is unusual from the very beginning.
In 2017, the Border Collie was rescued in Venezuela by the Asociación Pro Defensa de los Animales, known as APROA, after suffering abandonment, abuse and neglect. His circumstances could have defined the rest of his life.
Instead, Tsunami eventually came under the guidance of Jorge Beens, who heads K-SAR ECID, the canine disaster-response organization where the dog would later train and work.
His natural abilities were developed into specialized search-and-rescue skills. Tsunami was trained to search collapsed structures for people trapped beneath debris, transforming a dog who had once needed rescuing himself into an animal capable of helping rescuers find survivors.
One feature made him especially recognizable.
Tsunami has heterochromia, meaning his eyes are different colors. One is blue and the other is brown. Photographs and videos from disaster zones repeatedly captured the unusual-looking Border Collie moving across damaged buildings and piles of concrete.
His career eventually extended far beyond a single emergency.
In Venezuela, Tsunami participated in rescue operations following the Las Tejerías and El Castaño mudslides in 2022. In 2023, he and Beens were also involved in rescue operations connected to the devastating Turkey and Syria earthquakes.
By 2026, his experience had already stretched across multiple disasters. Then another major emergency struck much closer to home.
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Tsunami’s final rescue mission followed Venezuela’s June 2026 earthquakes
On June 24, 2026, Venezuela was hit by a powerful earthquake sequence that would become the final major operation of Tsunami’s active rescue career.
Two major earthquakes occurred just 39 seconds apart. The first was initially reported as magnitude 7.2, while the main event was measured at 7.5.
The destruction triggered an extensive search-and-rescue response involving Venezuelan and international teams. Rescuers worked through collapsed buildings in areas including La Guaira and Caracas, looking for people who could still be alive beneath the rubble.
Among them were Tsunami and Jorge Beens.
One rescue highlighted in reporting involved a man in his 60s trapped beneath the ruins of Residencias Rita in San Bernardino, Caracas. Tsunami reportedly identified a point in the rubble where the man was still alive, allowing rescuers to focus their excavation efforts on that location.
The operation brought Tsunami renewed attention, but it also marked the closing stage of his working career.
K-SAR ECID announced that the Venezuela earthquake response would be his final mission.
The organization described his retirement with a statement that captured the significance of the moment:
“He retires at the top of his game, proving his courage and giving everything in the field.”
That retirement would soon become part of a much larger public tribute.
Tsunami’s rescue record includes different survivor counts
One detail surrounding Tsunami’s career requires some care because the reported number of people he helped locate has changed across different stages of the earthquake response.
Early reporting cited figures including 13 and 25 people. Venezuela’s government later said Tsunami had helped save 25 people from buildings damaged by the earthquakes.
By the time of the September tribute in Maracaibo, however, the municipality was describing Tsunami as having located more than 26 people alive across different disasters.
The municipal account also identified him as being nine years old and nearing the end of his active service under Beens.
For that reason, the municipality’s current account provides the most appropriate figure to use when describing the latest public recognition of Tsunami, while the earlier numbers remain part of the reporting history surrounding his work.
Al Jazeera reported that Tsunami was credited with helping locate at least 26 survivors following the June earthquakes.
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The September tribute turned Tsunami’s retirement into a permanent memorial
Tsunami’s active career may have ended with the June earthquake response, but his public story was only beginning a new chapter.
On September 16, Maracaibo unveiled a bronze monument dedicated to the rescue dog at Vereda del Lago.
The statue carries the Spanish title “Guardián de la esperanza,” meaning “Guardian of Hope.”
The ceremony brought together Tsunami himself, Jorge Beens, Maracaibo Mayor Giancarlo Di Martino, municipal officials, members of animal-protection organizations and rescue groups.
The monument was created by Venezuelan artist and sculptor José Benjamín Figueroa, who has also worked on the monument dedicated to Venezuelan baseball Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.
The choice of title reflected the role Tsunami came to represent during the June earthquake response. The Maracaibo municipality described him as a symbol of courage and solidarity during the disaster.
Mayor Di Martino also spoke about why the monument would remain important long after the immediate rescue effort had ended.
“Este monumento permanecerá como un recordatorio permanente de fe y heroísmo para los cientos de personas y familias que visitan a diario este espacio.”
In English, the statement says the monument will remain as a permanent reminder of faith and heroism for the people and families who visit the park.
Key dates and milestones in Tsunami’s story
| Date/Period | Event | Official or reported detail |
| 2017 | Tsunami rescued in Venezuela | APROA rescued him after abandonment, abuse and neglect |
| 2022 | Las Tejerías and El Castaño disasters | Tsunami participated in rescue operations in Venezuela |
| 2023 | Turkey and Syria earthquakes | Tsunami and Jorge Beens participated in related rescue operations |
| June 24, 2026 | Venezuela earthquake sequence | Two major earthquakes occurred 39 seconds apart; first initially reported at 7.2 and main event measured at 7.5 |
| June 2026 | Final major deployment | Tsunami and Beens searched collapsed structures for survivors |
| September 16, 2026 | Bronze statue unveiled | “Guardián de la esperanza” unveiled at Vereda del Lago in Maracaibo |
Tsunami received several honors alongside his bronze statue
The monument was not the only recognition waiting for Tsunami in Maracaibo.
During the ceremony, the municipal government awarded him the Botón Honor al Mérito, or Honor Button of Merit.
The Maracaibo municipal fire department also presented Tsunami with the Medalla al Valor, or Medal of Valor, together with the department’s insignia.
The municipality’s Institute of Municipal Animal Protection, known as IMPA, also presented recognition connected to Tsunami and his handler.
Tsunami was present throughout the unveiling and was photographed beside the bronze version of himself.
The ceremony then took the retired rescue dog into the wider city. Tsunami was transported through Maracaibo in a fire department vehicle alongside Beens, giving members of the public an opportunity to see the dog who had become closely associated with Venezuela’s earthquake rescue response.
There was also a change from the location originally announced for the monument.
When Maracaibo first announced the planned tribute earlier in September, reports said the sculpture would be installed at Plaza de la República as part of events marking the city’s 497th anniversary.
When the actual ceremony took place on September 16, however, the municipality confirmed that the statue had been unveiled at Vereda del Lago.
So, the final location of the monument is Vereda del Lago, rather than Plaza de la República.
His legacy could extend beyond the statue
The tribute also became an opportunity to look toward the future of canine rescue work in Maracaibo.
The mayor said the city intends to develop additional rescue-dog units. Reports from the ceremony said local police, firefighters and civil protection agencies would receive their own trained rescue dogs.
Beens also announced plans for a training center for volunteers who want to work with canine disaster-response teams.
That means Tsunami’s retirement is not being presented simply as the end of one dog’s career. His story is also being connected to plans for developing future rescue capabilities.
Beens further revealed plans for a film about Tsunami’s life and rescue career, potentially giving the story another form beyond the statue now standing at Vereda del Lago.
Why Tsunami’s story has become bigger than one rescue operation
It would be easy to associate Tsunami primarily with the June 2026 Venezuelan earthquakes because that disaster brought his work renewed international attention.
But his career was built over years.
He had already worked through the Las Tejerías and El Castaño mudslides in 2022, followed by rescue operations connected to the Turkey and Syria earthquakes in 2023.
His international experience established him as a trained disaster-response dog long before the 2026 earthquake sequence.
Then came the images from Venezuela: Tsunami moving through collapsed concrete, searching for signs of life while rescue teams worked around him.
Those photographs and videos helped make the Border Collie one of the most recognizable animal faces associated with the disaster response.
And behind those images was a much longer journey, beginning with a dog rescued after abandonment and mistreatment and ending with that same dog being honored in bronze.
A rescue dog’s remarkable journey reaches its next chapter
Tsunami’s story now has a physical landmark in Maracaibo.
The dog who once needed rescuing was trained to search for people trapped beneath collapsed structures. He worked alongside Jorge Beens in Venezuela and internationally, participated in major disaster responses and ultimately completed his final major mission following the June 24 earthquakes.
The September 16 unveiling at Vereda del Lago gave that career a permanent public tribute.
Under the name “Guardián de la esperanza,” the bronze monument preserves the image of Tsunami as a symbol of courage, solidarity and rescue work. His honors from Maracaibo’s municipal government, fire department and animal-protection authorities add to the recognition surrounding his retirement.
His active rescue work is now over. But the statue, the planned training efforts and the proposed film mean Tsunami’s story is continuing in a different form.
For a dog whose life began with abandonment and mistreatment, becoming a permanent symbol of rescue work is a remarkable final chapter.
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Conclusion
Tsunami’s career took him from a 2017 rescue in Venezuela to major disaster zones in Venezuela, Turkey and Syria, before his final deployment after the country’s June 24, 2026 earthquake sequence. His work alongside Jorge Beens ultimately led to a September 16 tribute in Maracaibo, where his bronze likeness was unveiled at Vereda del Lago as “Guardián de la esperanza.”
The exact number of survivors associated with Tsunami’s work has varied across reports, but the Maracaibo municipality’s latest account says he located more than 26 people alive. Now retired at nine years old, Tsunami has left active rescue work behind while his story continues through the monument, new canine-rescue plans and a proposed film about his life.
Source Disclaimer: This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original verified material, including statements and reports from the Maracaibo municipal authorities, K-SAR ECID-related reporting, Al Jazeera, Forbes, PAHO, EFE and Venezuelan news outlets. The article reflects the information available from those sources and does not imply independent verification beyond what the provided material supports. Reported survivor figures have varied, so the article preserves the distinction between earlier figures and the latest figure publicly cited by the Maracaibo municipality.
Sources
- Alcaldía Bolivariana de Maracaibo: Tsunami receives tribute in Maracaibo
- Alcaldía Bolivariana de Maracaibo: Monument unveiled for Tsunami at Vereda del Lago
- Al Jazeera: Venezuela quakes rescue dog ‘Tsunami’ honoured with statue
- Forbes: Tsunami, the Rescued Dog Saving Lives After Venezuela Earthquakes
- PAHO: Venezuela Earthquakes M7.2 and M7.5 Situation Report
- EFE: Two powerful earthquakes shake Venezuela, main event measured at magnitude 7.5
- La Verdad: Monument unveiled in honor of Tsunami at Vereda del Lago
- Diario Versión Final: Mayor Di Martino unveils monument honoring Tsunami
Featured Image Credit:
- Sam Lion via Pexels
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