Xanto to be awarded IRO certification

Xanto

is the dog who found the most people alive during the search & rescue operations in the department complex in Tlalpan, which collapsed during the September 19 earthquake .

Moreover, he is about to become the first canine of a private citizen to receive a certification from the UN's International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO) .

Xanto had perfect scores on the search & rescue operations to find people buried beneath the rubble of a department complex in Mexico City.

This German Shepard collaborated to find at least four of the seven people rescued alive from the “zero zone” and six of the 15 bodies of the deceased.

With prudence, Xanto knew when to bark or move an ear to inform rescuers he had found something important among the ruins.

The dog began to work from the start of the emergency together with Daniel García – his owner and trainer – but due to his efficiency, he was also required by the experts of Israel, Colombia, Venezuela, and Japan.

“When the quake happened, I was called by the USAR Unit and I said: 'This is it, Xanto! This is our trial by fire, let's prove what you're made of, buddy.' I trusted in him,” says Mr. García.

This dog, native to Jalisco, is certified in Mexico to perform search & rescue operations, and before the quake, he was preparing for the UN certification, according to an interview EL UNIVERSAL had with Mr. García.

“Xanto and I have been preparing for a while now and we set up a goal: to have the certification by the first week of November, and we found ourselves facing the need to rescue [people] in September,” recounted Daniel.

Furthermore, according to Xanto's owner, there are only five dogs in Mexico which have received the certification (all property of the National Autonomous University), and Xanto will become the sixth – but the first dog to be registered by a private citizen.