A 7.2 magnitude earthquake severely damaged Taroko in Hualien County, Taiwan. The Hualien Search and Rescue team, with their rescue dogs, Wilson, Hero, and Fancy, arrived at the Shakadang Trail to search the area for victims of the quake. The smallest among the 3 canines, Wilson, was the first to successfully find victims in the area due to his keen sense of smell and good eyesight.The Facebook fan page “Hualien Search and Rescue Dog Team ~ whf Dog Guest” shared the wonderful news in a post. A petite Jack Russell terrier named Wilson searched between huge rocks above and below the mountainous area, his tail wagging while sniffing between the crevices. Finally, Wilson barked at one of the narrow openings as though he was alerting his handler. “There’s one here!”
When Wilson’s handler heard the rescue dog’s bark, he immediately approached the area and radioed the rest of the team to start digging. Soon after, a victim was found. About 2 meters away, another victim was found by Wilson.
In December 2023, Wilson and his handler, Zeng Jinglin, passed the International Search and Rescue Dog Organization’s IRO assessment intermediate certification. During this latest search and rescue mission, Wilson displayed his enthusiasm to achieve the mission with his keen sense of smell and excellent eyesight. Working alongside his handler, he showed great strength and interest in completing the tasks.
The Hualien County Fire Department’s special search and rescue dog team was established in the 110th year of the Republic of China. This is the first mission of the team to send the 3 search and rescue dogs, Wilson, Hero, and Fancy. Zeng Jinglin said, “This is an important milestone for the Hualien County Fire Department and the ultimate training achievement for good verification.”
The Shakadang Trail in Hualien County was a famous hiking trail among the locals. Now, it has been severely damaged by the earthquake and is covered with boulders.