Dog Names Meaning Survivor

The Mexican president Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto honored Frida by posting on Twitter, "This is Frida. She belongs to the SEMAR and has helped save 52 lives in various natural disasters at national and international levels."

When Frida goes to work, because of the dust and debris, she is known to wear a pair of goggles, a khaki padded waistcoat and all-terrain boots for her protection. She appears to know that whenever she puts on her 'uniform,' it is time to go to work saving lives by finding survivors in the world's worst disasters. Frida's handler,  Israel Arauz Salinas, works right along beside her on every disaster. They have gained notoriety around Mexico. Many fans have even requested the image of Frida replace painter Diego Rivera on the 500-peso note.

Undoubtedly, Frida is fearless. She will often crawl into small spaces where humans cannot fit to seek out survivors. The brave pooch never shows any fear or falters. She continues to search until exhaustion forces her to rest and rehydrate before she resumes. In 2018, Frida, who was named after famed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, was honored with her own bronze statue. The likeness of the Labrador Retriever and her handler and trainer Israel Arauz is located in Puebla City. A plaque on the front of the bronze statue reads, “Memorable symbols of the strength Mexicans can have when we decide to come together for great causes.”

Everyone loves Frida in Mexico and considers the canine search and rescue worker a true hero. Her likeness appears on t-shirts, stuffed animals, and in comic books as the main character.  There is also a substantial colorful mural in the Mexico City of the Puebla. Frida is still working as a search and rescue dog, but with the inevitable advancement of age, she will soon be retired and used to help train other young dogs to follow in her noble footsteps. Forecasters say she only has about a year left before she enjoys retirement with her handler. When asked how Israel Arauz feels about his years working with Frida he says, “It’s a source of pride to work with Frida. She’s a very, very special dog."