If there is any sign of hope at the collapsed State Auditor Office (SAO) building, it arrives on four paws.
These rescue teams come with a unique power of healing and hope, evident every time they are called to duty at the site. The K9 rescue teams stand ready outside the collapsed building.
Their duty is to navigate the rubble within, sniffing through the debris to find any sign of life.
K9s on standby, ready for deployment//Photo: Veena Thoopkrajae
Saving lives is the priority. But when the K9s are not on the site, they work a different kind of miracle. The canines bring smiles to the faces of all, and even warm the hearts of family members and friends of those trapped inside.
Photos and videos of the dogs—some in uniform, wearing harnesses and safety shoes—are flooding the media, pushing the term ‘K9’ to trend on platforms like TikTok and Meta.
Protective footwear donated for their safety.//Photo: by Veena Thoopkrajae
As the search continues, more and more people, especially dog lovers, have learned about them.
Many have come to the area to meet the K9s, bringing donations like cooling pads, snacks, toys, and safety shoes. The rescue dogs’ presence has become a staple across pet influencer channels.
The K9s are perfectly suited for the challenges at the collapsed SAO building because they are lightweight, capable of patrolling the debris and sniffing for any possible signs of life.
Human rescue is too risky, as it could cause further rubble to fall.
The SAO building’s pancake collapse makes the rescue work extremely difficult. The dogs are disciplined and well-trained for this specific task.
When called for duty, they enter the site with a trainer, focusing intently on the job. “They know it’s time to work when we put the harness on,” said Pol Corporal Jakkapong Chuensomboon, trainer of male Labrador Garmin.
"They are living beings, not devices": Pol. Corporal Jakkapong Chuensomboon
The K9s from the Police Canine Subdivision are on standby around the site, alongside the army's USAR Thailand and other private volunteers.
The police rotate two canines each day, with a new pair taking over every 24 hours.
On the day we were there, Christina and Garmin, female and male Labradors, looked like a happy “couple.”
Garmin, male police K9 who comes to work with his “girlfriend” Christina.//Photo: Veena Thoopkrajae
However, the reality for these canine officers is different; they are not allowed to mate or breed during their service. The two Labradors rest in the police vehicle with air conditioning.
It is crucial to cool them down before they brave the heat around the mountain of rubble to find survivors.
Sometimes, the trainers walk them around to help them relax while waiting for deployment.
“The police dogs work for about one hour per round maximum, allowing them to work throughout the day. The biggest challenge is the heat," said Pol Senior Sgt Maj Nattapong Sriroj, trainer of Christina, the black Labrador.
Apart from their name harnesses, Christina and Garmin also wear shoes, which have captured public attention.
These are not fashion accessories or gimmicks; the shoes protect their paws from injury.
The debris contains glass shards and sharp materials. Although volunteer veterinarians are on site, precautions are essential.
In the case of the SAO building, the K9s also suffer from inhaling dust.
Christina and Garmin are experienced K9s, having worked on high-profile cases.
This time around, the job—as always—doesn’t leave any room for “dog”-error.
But their trainers trust them wholeheartedly because before becoming police dogs, they were trained extensively for three years.
“Not only that, each K9 has to work as a trainee for a year before becoming a K9 officer with the division,” said Pol Senior Sgt Maj Nattapong.
The dog’s characters dictate its specialized areas of work such as detection (sniffing out drugs or explosives), patrol and protection such as guarding officers and deterring criminal activity, and search and rescue like they are doing at the collapsed site.
“The most difficult for the trainer is the search and rescue mission. The dog must be courageous but not reckless. It also has to learn how to evaluate the landscape and surroundings because it is all about safety,” said Pol Senior Sgt Maj Nattapong.
K9s: Living beings, not devices
Trainers are also buddies who communicate with their four-legged partners, taking care of them physically and mentally.
The latter is crucial for performance.
“They are living beings, not devices," said Pol. Sgt. Jakkapong, whose four-legged partner is Garmin.
A K9 handler forms a special relationship with their dog. If a dog finds a living person, its reaction differs from when it finds a body.
“The dog will bark if he finds any sign of life in the case of the 30-story collapsed building,” said Pol Sgt Jakkapong.
Out of 87 K9s in the police's canine subdivision, four K9 specialists are deployed at the site, namely Garmin, Christina, Cola and Bailey, all specialists in search & rescue.
The police dogs come in a varieties of breed including German Shepherds, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Beagles.
K9s from the police join the army's dog officers and those working with volunteers.
The search and rescue at this site is an uphill task and it requires quite a number of K9s to work around the clock.
Jew (from the Korat tunnel collapse).//Photo: Veena Thoopkrajae
Although the main work is to climb the rubble and go through debris, sniffing around for any sign of trapped humans, the K9s undeniably provide emotional support.
The public thanks them on social media especially when any K9 is injured from the mission.
They were seen suffering cut paws and clogged noses from sniffing at the site full of cement dust. But they give everyone, especially families waiting near the scene of the collapse, hope.
Includes post-work paw check.//Photo: Veena Thoopkrajae
And they work tirelessly, and do their best every time they are deployed to the task.
K9s trust their handlers, and it is a mutual trust. Heroic rescuers are assisted by the best possible partners—those who are brave and don't even know it.
