Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they have leashes.
Nine Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) police dogs are now viral online after they helped post-earthquake rescue operations at the Chuzon Supermarket in Porac, Pampanga.
Pet photography studio Paws&Click posted a now-viral photo on Wednesday of three dogs involved in the search and rescue efforts. It shows a Belgian Malinois named Billy, a Jack Russel Terrier named Thunder, and a German Shepherd named Farah.
The doggos even wore an official harness while smiling for the camera.
The Chuzon Supermarket was a 4-story building that collapsed on Monday after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit parts Luzon. At least five people died on the site while nine others were reported injured.
Pampanga, the province where the supermarket is located, is now under a state of calamity due to the devastation brought by the quake. The total death toll in Central Luzon is now at 18, with many of the casualties from Pampanga.
The dogs were deployed on Tuesday to help in the rescue operations in Porac, The MMDA K9 Corps said in a Facebook post.
Sheryl Palcis, head of MMDA K9’s information and planning office, told Coconuts Manila through a Facebook message that a total of nine dogs helped search for survivors in the supermarket’s ruins.
She identified the six other dogs as Chia, Dumbo, Chaplin, Cody, Ringo, and Luci.
“They were able to find 1 survivor, 1 casualty,” she said of the dogs’ accomplishments.
Paws&Click’s viral Facebook post has garnered over 33,000 reactions and 22,000 shares as of this article’s posting.
Netizens lauded the search and rescue dogs for their efforts.
Facebook user Cherryl Crisologo-Balatbat said, “great job” with paw print emojis.
Jie Aquino said: “A salute to the Furry warriors!”
Cay Sy said: “That’s why they’re Mans Best Friends.”
Dolly Wadwadan added that she loved the doggos.
Thank you, our furry friends!
