Dogs are being sent to Turkey and Syria after the earthquake. How will they help?

As many as two dozen countries have sent search teams to Turkey and Syria hit by the deadliest earthquake in the world in over a decade.

Some countries have also dispatched search-and-rescue dogs to aid in locating missing people caught under the rubble. The 7.8 magnitude quake on Monday (6 February), followed by a series of tremors, has killed more than 11,000 people. With thousands of tumbled buildings, the number of those still trapped remains uncertain.

Which countries have sent search-and-rescue dogs to Turkey and Syria? How are canines helpful in rescue operations? We explain.

Countries sending dogs

India has sent two teams of Natural Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to Turkey, accompanied by a specially trained dog squad.

The four-member dog squad comprises Labradors who are trained in sniffing and rescue work, ANI reported.

NDRF Urban Search & Rescue medium team along with Rescue dogs and other necessary equipment lands at Adana Türkiye