A 4-year-old Labrador named Dayko was hailed as a hero after rescuing seven people during the Ecuador earthquake and dying of exhaustion.

Dayko – the rescue dog of the Ibara fire department – died on April 22 after many days of searching for survivors in the rubble in Pedernales City, one of the areas most devastated by the strong earthquake. Magnitude 7.8 occurred in Ecuador on April 16.

According to a post by the Ibara firefighters on Facebook, the cause of death was “severe myocardial infarction and acute respiratory failure.” Although veterinarians tried their best to save Dayko after the dog collapsed, they failed.

High temperatures, dehydration and loss of strength during rescue work caused Dayko to collapse. Photo: CEN

Dayko’s funeral was solemnly held with the participation of the fire department. Photo: CEN
Firefighters held a solemn funeral for Dayko with the participation of rescue workers and other dogs. It is known that Dayko has participated in rescue work for nearly 4 years.

“The fire department is very sad because we just lost Dayko, a rescue dog in Pedernales City in recent days. This four-legged friend sacrificed himself for the mission. Thank you Dayko for your heroic efforts in Pedernales and in many other emergencies. You have brought glory to the K9 unit” – from the post of the Ibara fire department.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake left at least 654 people dead and more than 2,000 injured in Ecuador. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said: “Reconstruction will cost billions of dollars and severely affect economic development.”

Some pictures of Dayko on the Ibara fire department’s Facebook: