3 min readNew DelhiJul 1, 2026 11:57 AM IST
First published on: Jul 1, 2026 at 11:57 AM IST
A dog that survived nearly five days trapped beneath the rubble after Venezuela‘s devastating earthquakes has become a symbol of hope, with an emotional rescue video touching millions online.
According to the New York Post, the puppy, named Giselle, was pulled to safety on Monday in Caraballeda, a city in the severely affected La Guaira state. She had been buried under collapsed debris since two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck just 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening last week, leaving widespread destruction and claiming more than 1,900 lives.
Footage released after the rescue shows Giselle immediately licking one of the rescuers and wagging her tail nonstop as they brought her out from the rubble. She was then given water and examined for injuries.
Sharing the rescue video, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele wrote, “After 5 hours, we managed to rescue this little dog who responds to the name Giselle, in Residencial El Palmar, Caraballeda. If anyone is her owner, they can approach our teams in the area and prove with photos or videos that she is theirs.”
Watch the video:
The heartwarming clip quickly spread across social media, with viewers moved by Giselle’s apparent gratitude towards the rescue team.
“There is no purer and more sincere gratitude than that of a little animal. I hope Giselle’s family shows up soon and they reunite,” an X user wrote.
Another commented, “It’s not for nothing, but let’s learn from the animals, from the little dogs in this life, that we must be grateful from the heart for the person who helps you, who lends you a hand, selflessly—that’s something to value, and it has no price, their good deeds toward their fellow man, acting from the heart as God taught us.”
A third user wrote, “Honestly, I’ve barely slept since this happened. Thinking about all the pets that are just waiting to die in the rubble. It makes me sick to my stomach. I feel so bad for the people as well but pets cannot speak so it just really gets me.”
“The puppy expressed its gratitude to the rescuers in its own way,” another user wrote.
According to the New York Post, Venezuelan authorities said on Tuesday that the confirmed death toll had climbed to at least 1,943, while 10,571 people were injured and more than 15,000 displaced as rescue operations entered their sixth day.
The newspaper reported that around 30,000 Venezuelan emergency personnel, supported by 2,700 international specialists, including elite search-and-rescue teams from the United States, continue to search through the debris for survivors.
Footage released after the rescue shows Giselle immediately licking one of the rescuers and wagging her tail nonstop 
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