Five days. That was how long Giselle, a dog in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, spent trapped under the remains of Residencial El Palmar, a building that collapsed after the twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that shook northern Venezuela on June 24, 2026.
A search and rescue team from El Salvador worked for hours following barks coming from a dark crack in the rubble. When they finally managed to pull her out alive, Giselle did not hesitate: she licked her rescuer’s face while the crowd around them erupted in applause.
Minutes later, a doctor fed her with a syringe. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, shared the video that is now making its way around the world.
Amid a tragedy that has already claimed more than 2,000 lives, this dog’s story reminded millions that sometimes hope survives where it is least expected.