A poodle named Beyli has been rescued alive 29 days after being trapped in the rubble of a building that collapsed during two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela. Astonishing video captured the moment rescuers found the dog, covered in dust, curled up next to the body of his owner's deceased grandmother.
Beyli became trapped on June 24 when two devastating earthquakes, registering magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck the Venezuelan port city of Catia La Mar. The quakes destroyed a building where Beyli resided. Rescuers were able to provide the dog with water immediately after his extraction.
Veterinarians have expressed optimism about Beyli's recovery, noting he has some eye ulcers but is expected to make a full recovery despite going without food or water for an extended period. The dog's owner, 11-year-old Victoria Isabel Rengel, lost her mother and grandmother in the earthquakes. Beyli has since been reunited with Rengel, and they are currently residing in a rescue center.
This incident follows other notable animal rescues after the earthquakes. Days after the initial tremors, a video circulated showing firefighters pulling another dog from the rubble of a home. In that instance, a firefighter extended a bottle of water to the trapped animal. Another dog, known as Giselle, was reportedly rescued five days after the earthquakes struck.
The earthquakes, which hit just 39 seconds apart, killed more than 5,500 people and injured 16,700. Approximately one month after the disaster, thousands of people remain homeless.