After Taiwan’s April 3, 2024 Hualien earthquake, fire-department search and rescue dog teams entered Taroko, Shakadang Trail, and damaged buildings. Public reports documented Wilson, Hero, Fancy, Roger, Mina, and Mona working in dangerous terrain to help locate victims and guide rescue work.

Hualien County, Taiwan

Search work after the quake

The 7.2 earthquake left rockfalls, damaged buildings, and difficult search areas. Rescue teams needed machinery, human judgment, and trained dogs able to work through rubble, scent, and unstable ground.

Taiwan News, citing CNA and other reports, recorded teams from Hualien, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. The dogs were not decorative background; they were working members entering real search areas.

One canonical rescue event

On April 5, Hualien’s team brought Wilson, Hero, and Fancy into Shakadang Trail. Reports said Wilson, a small Jack Russell Terrier, located two victims. As operations continued, Roger, Mina, and Mona were also publicly reported in related Hualien search work.

Timeline

• 2024-04-03 The Hualien earthquake struck and search teams entered affected areas.
• 2024-04-05 Hualien rescue dogs Wilson, Hero, and Fancy worked in the Shakadang Trail area.
• 2024-04-06 Kaohsiung rescue dog Roger continued searching; Mina and Pingtung rescue dog Mona were also reported in related tasks.
• 2024-04-07 Taiwan News published its report on the rescue dogs.

Public Sources

• Taiwan News: search and rescue dogs praised amid earthquake response