Disaster rescue dogs and therapy dogs

Through my rescue operations in the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, I had bitter experiences of not being able to save suffering people I hoped to save due to the serious scarcity of hands. After the disaster, I was distressed by the thought of what I could do as a survivor. Then I came across the Japan Rescue Association and began volunteer work there. By coming in touch with dogs, old people who cannot move very well and abused children can be cured. This could be positive rehabilitation for them.

In the Japan Rescue Association, we raise rescue dogs and therapy dogs and run a dispatch service. Therapy dogs have a mysterious ability to fit into people's minds and activate communication between people. Rescue dogs can look for missing people under collapsed buildings by taking advantage of their acute noses. After the earthquake in Turkey, 2 rescue dogs were dispatched and found 2 surviving people. However due to lack of machine-power, they could not be saved in the end.

-Student's impressions-

I didn't know what rescue dogs did in disasters. Watching a video, I saw a therapy dog that was performing his role perfectly by looking for a survivor under the debris. But people were arguing about the way to help the person best and in the end the person was not saved. I thought people should have tried their best to save the person even if the rescue operation will end in failure.