People the world over were touched by the heartbreaking story
of a rescue dog that died after reportedly saving seven people in the aftermath
of a devastating earthquake in Ecuador last week.
The news quickly went viral after the fire department for the
northern city of Ibarra announced the death of 4-year-old Labrador retriever
Dayko, who had been with its K-9 unit for three and a half years.
“The Fire Department of Ibarra would like to express a
brotherly thanks to all the people who gave us their support, and not only in
regards to the death of our beloved canine Dayko,” the department said in
a Facebook post.
According to Spanish-language news, such as ABC, Dayko
suffered from heat stroke and injuries while braving the flames to find more
victims, ultimately succumbing to a heart attack — despite resuscitation
attempts by veterinarians and firefighters.