Turkey gifts Mexico pup after a rescue dog's death on quake duty

Mexican army welcomed a new search puppy, gifted from Turkey, followed by the death in the line of duty of a Mexico rescue dog.

A soldier holds a German Shepherd puppy named 'Arkadas' which was donated by the Turkey government as a gesture of gratitude following the death of Mexican rescue dog Proteo during the search for survivors of last February's quake in the town of Adiyaman, Turkey, at a military base in Mexico City, Mexico May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's army welcomed a new search puppy on Wednesday, gifted from Turkey following the death in the line of duty of a Mexican rescue dog who had been helping to find survivors of February's massive earthquake near the Syrian border.

The three-month-old German Shepherd will join Mexico's famed canine unit, specialized in helping locate survivors in a country prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters.

The black and beige fur-ball with perky ears and outsize paws has been named 'Arkadas' - meaning "friend" in Turkish - following an online vote.

A soldier holds a German Shepherd puppy named 'Arkadas', which was donated by the Turkey government as a gesture of gratitude following the death of Mexican rescue dog Proteo during the search for survivors of last February's quake in the town of Adiyaman, Turkey, at a military base in Mexico City, Mexico May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

Arkadas will be trained by the same trainer who cared for Proteo, the rescue dog that died on mission in Turkey, the army said.

Canine squad members stand at a ceremony in which a German Shepherd puppy named 'Arkadas', was donated by Turkey's government as a gesture of gratitude following the death of Mexican rescue dog Proteo during the search for survivors of last February's quake in the town of Adiyaman, Turkey, at a military base in Mexico City, Mexico May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

Mexico deployed rescue dogs to Turkey after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook a huge area near the southern border with Syria, causing at least 54,000 deaths across both nations.

Children pose with a German Shepherd puppy named 'Arkadas', which was donated by Turkey's government as a gesture of gratitude following the death of Mexican rescue dog Proteo during the search for survivors of last February's quake in the town of Adiyaman, Turkey, at a military base in Mexico City, Mexico May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

Mexico paid homage to Proteo, also a German Shepherd, at a military funeral earlier this year.

Wearing a padded green harness featuring a tiny Mexican flag, Arkadas was welcomed to the force in a formal ceremony at a military base in Mexico City on Wednesday, joined by his new canine and human colleagues, standing to attention.

Ilhan Kemal Tug, Turkish ambassador to Mexico, pets Shepherd puppy 'Arkadas', which was donated by the Turkey government as a gesture of gratitude following the death of Mexican rescue dog Proteo during the search for survivors of last February's quake in the town of Adiyaman, Turkey, at a military base in Mexico City, Mexico May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

The excitable pup barked as Mexico's national anthem blared out from speakers.

"Thanks to my friends from Mexico who welcomed me with great affection, I promise to do my best to be a great search and rescue dog," the Mexican defense ministry tweeted on behalf of Arkadas.

(Reporting by Isabel Woodford; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Rosalba O'Brien)