Ecuador’s firefighters bestow honors on 5 rescue dogs at retirement ceremony

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Five rescue dogs have been honored by Ecuador’s Fire Department at a ceremony formally retiring them after seven years of service and turning them over to new adoptive owners. Lt. Col. Esteban Cardenas said the dogs Ares, Kratos, Zeus, Titan and Gaia were part of the first class of canines used by the department’s rescue unit, which works with German shepherds and golden retrievers. At the ceremony Monday, Cardenas recalled some of their feats, including aiding in finding survivors of earthquakes and landslides across Ecuador and abroad, including a mission to Mexico in 2017. He says veterinarian reports had suggested it was time to retire the five dogs.