Mato Grosso will host, between the 15th and 19th of June, the Central-West stage of the National Certification of Search, Rescue and Rescue Dogs. The event brings together teams from several states to evaluate the preparation of dogs and handlers who work in search and rescue operations. This will not be the first time that the state hosts a national activity aimed at training working dogs. In 2022, Mato Grosso hosted, in Cáceres, the Fire Department's first national dog training. The action was part of an initiative by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security to standardize search and rescue activities across the country. In this edition, 20 teams will participate in the certification, 12 of which are firefighters. Representatives from the Fire Departments of Acre, Bahia, Ceará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins will also be present. The event During the five days of programming, dogs and handlers will undergo tests that simulate real search and rescue situations. Tests include obedience, dexterity, locating living people in urban and rural areas, searching for mortal remains and identifying specific odors. June 14th – Technical conference at Shopping Goiabeiras, in Cuiabá; June 15th – Obedience and skills tests will be held at the Ipase football field, in Várzea Grande; June 16th and 17th – Rural search assessments will take place at Fazenda São José, in the Trevo do Lagarto region; June 17th and 18th – Urban search tests will be carried out on Rodovia Palmiro Paes de Barros, in the Parque Atalaia region, in Cuiabá; June 19th, at 10am – Closing ceremony at Praça das Bandeiras. In addition to the performance of the dogs, the evaluators will analyze the performance of the handlers, including the interpretation of the animals' signals, decision-making and the conduct of field operations. 🐶 MT sniffer dogs The state also has an outstanding history in training search and rescue dogs. The Fire Department has been working with search dogs since 2012 and is considered a national reference in the area. The corporation's teams have already participated in operations in major disasters, such as those that occurred in Brumadinho (MG), Petrópolis (RJ) and Rio Grande do Sul. 2015: Bitch Sharon Dog Sharon, who achieved international rescue dog certification after passing tests held in Santa Catarina. Mato Grosso Fire Department The dog achieved international rescue dog certification after passing tests carried out in Santa Catarina. At the time, she became the only dog ​​in the state with the certification, obtained after evaluations in urban and rural areas, as well as obedience and dexterity tests. The internationally recognized certificate qualified the animal to perform operations to locate victims in different disaster scenarios. 2019: Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais. MT firefighters continue to help rescue those missing from the Brumadinho tragedy Search dog teams from Mato Grosso also gained national prominence in 2019, when they were sent to assist in the search for missing people after the collapse of the Brumadinho dam, in Minas Gerais. Responding to a request from the Minas Gerais Fire Department, the Mato Grosso corporation deployed four specialized teams, with soldiers and sniffer dogs, to reinforce rescue operations in one of the country's biggest environmental tragedies. One of the dogs that stood out in the searches was Shogun. He worked for 45 days in the disaster area and helped find human remains in 16 different spots. Years after ending his operational career, Shogun was adopted by a veterinary clinic in Campina Grande (PB), where he began to work symbolically as a "receptionist". Shogun and his tutor, Major Edson Ferraz Personal Archive/Edson Ferraz 2022: Dog Luke in Petropolis Sniffer dog Luke, from Sorriso, was part of the task force sent by Mato Grosso to assist in the search for victims and missing people after the landslides caused by heavy rains in Petrópolis (RJ). Known for working in locating missing people, the animal reinforced operations alongside other specialized search and rescue teams from the Military Fire Department. 2023: Maya, Bela and Thayron in Rio Grande do Sul Maya, Bela and Thayron are dogs certified by the National Council of Military Fire Brigades of Brazil Reproduction In 2023, the dogs Maya, Bela and Thayron, were sent to Rio Grande do Sul to assist in the search for victims of the extratropical cyclone that hit the state. Certified for action in disasters, the animals reinforced operations to locate the missing. Thayron had already participated in missions in major national tragedies, such as the disasters in Brumadinho (MG), in 2019, and Petrópolis (RJ), in 2022.