Frida, the rescue dog of the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) who, due to her work after the 2017 earthquakes in Oaxaca and Mexico City, won the hearts of Mexicans, is in poor health.
About to turn 13 (91 human years) in April, the Labrador is under permanent medical supervision for joint problems, and her heart, lungs, and organs are checked for any abnormalities.
At the moment there is no latent risk of her death, but in the Navy, they are preparing for that day, which they hope will be delayed.
“Frida is in stable health, has some age-related ailments, and is under permanent medical review. There is no latent risk that she could die, but she is already a geriatric animal and as such, we need to have the necessary care,” revealed Lieutenant Miguel Ángel Huerta Miranda, one of the three veterinarians who are looking after her health.
According to Huerta Miranda, Frida is a geriatric animal that no longer runs, does not jump, and no longer goes after her attractor: “She has a normal activity, she has become a pet.”
After 8:30 in the morning she left the kennel with one of her handlers, she had almost white fur, a sign of the passing of the years, and more relaxed. “She no longer performs any operational activity, she is in retirement, we just keep her under special nutrition, medical care, and relaxation. She no longer performs any physical activity,” said the veterinarian.
Starting at nine in the morning, he commented, Frida goes out to the garden to relax, then has breakfast and goes to her kennel; she is checked during the day: “Due to her age and her race, more care is taken in the joints, the heart, lungs and all the organs are checked to be aware of any changes that may occur,” he explained.
Frida was born in April 2009 in the canine center of the Navy, located in Mexico City, where she received training and was selected to be part of the Search and Rescue Team in Collapsed Structures.
Lieutenant Miguel Ángel Huerta Miranda affirms that the canine element represents an icon that marked the history of the Secretary of the Navy and a heroine who gave her whole life for the country.
“She has a lot of charisma, she gives us a lot of joy, peace, a lot of security. She is totally an icon, she is a dog that marked the history of the Mexican Navy and that is why we keep her, we make an effort to keep her in good health,” he said.
After 10 years of active service as a member of the Secretary of the Navy, Frida retired with honors in June 2019.
In the earthquakes of September 7 and 19, 2017, in Oaxaca and Mexico City, Frida rescued several people, and her performance at the Rébsamen School was widely covered
She also did rescue work for the explosion at the Petróleos Mexicanos tower in 2013.
At the international level, she was sent to rescue operations for the earthquakes in Haiti, in 2010, and in Ecuador, 2016, where she saved many lives. Her bark always gave hope and in times of pain and uncertainty she brought relief, the Secretary of the Navy said.
“Her image now refers us to that of the Mexico that stands up, despite the storms, to the strong Mexico, to the Mexico brother and friend. She has told us without a single word that faith is an internal force that should never be lost,” said the former Undersecretary of the Navy, Eduardo Redondo Arámburo.
Frida “stole the hearts of all of Mexico and of thousands beyond our borders. We are sure that the image of our heroine will continue to be present in everyone, as an emblem that the Navy is and will continue to be at the service of Mexicans,” he said.
