Story By Joseph Golder
News Editor Ajda Ender
This is the moment a dog is pulled alive from a collapsed building and smothers her rescuer in ‘kisses’ following a powerful earthquake that has rocked Venezuela.
This image is a screen grab of the video supplied titled NewsX-GiselleDog-01.mp4: Footage shows rescuers pulling a dog alive from the rubble of a collapsed building before it showers one of its rescuers with kisses, Caraballeda, La Guaira, Venezuela, June 30, 2026.(Clipzilla/NX)
The footage shows the rescue in the town of Caraballeda, in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, and was obtained from El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, on 30th June.
The video shows rescuers lifting the small dog, named Giselle, from the debris before she licks the face of the man holding her.
Giselle had been trapped beneath the El Palmar residential complex, one of the worst-hit sites in Caraballeda, before rescue brigades finally reached her.
Emergency crews have since appealed for her owners to come forward, asking anyone who claims her to prove ownership with photographs or videos.
Her rescue is one of many, as teams across La Guaira and Caracas pull dogs and cats from the rubble, some after days underground.
Firefighters, Civil Protection units and international brigades have recovered animals found dehydrated and with minor injuries, while others survived in small pockets of air within the collapsed structures.
In one case, a dog refused to leave the spot where a building had fallen, prompting rescuers to widen their search in an area where several people are still missing.
Rescue workers say their search does not distinguish between people and animals, with every life recovered counting as a victory.
The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.5 and 7.2, struck on 24th June and devastated La Guaira and Caracas, killing more than 1,700 people, according to Venezuelan officials.
Rescue convoys from El Salvador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic have joined the effort.
Animal protection specialists warn that surviving pets also suffer extreme stress and disorientation, and urge that formal rescue protocols include them in future disasters.
(Joe Golder/Clipzilla/NX)
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