# Chile Earthquake



## Catalina Valencia (Feb 20, 2008)

I cannot even start to describe how I feel. I go from sadness to rage, mostly rage, rage all day for being trapped on this city without being able to reunite with my team, but collapsed bridges prevent me from doing that.

In this TV capsule you can see my team working in Constitución. The black female is the dog I raised and trained.

http://www.chilevision.cl/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239761&Itemid=81


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## Denise Gatlin (Dec 28, 2009)

My prayers are with you and the Chilean people.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I can relate to your frustration, Catalina. 

Something that might help you is to remember that your efforts (raising and training a dog that is responding, or helping your teammates train their dogs) are a very important part of the rescue response too, even if you are not able to be there yourself right now.


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## Vi Shaffer (Jan 25, 2010)

Catalina Valencia said:


> I cannot even start to describe how I feel. I go from sadness to rage, mostly rage, rage all day for being trapped on this city without being able to reunite with my team, but collapsed bridges prevent me from doing that.
> 
> In this TV capsule you can see my team working in Constitución. The black female is the dog I raised and trained.
> 
> http://www.chilevision.cl/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239761&Itemid=81


 
God Bless you!


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Maybe you are not physically right there right now but they know you would be there if you could - and the dog you raised in trained is doing the job! 

You can't do what you can't do. Thank for you and the brave folks who do this.


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## Erica Boling (Jun 17, 2008)

My heart goes out to you and everybody in Chile. I lived there for two years and still have friends there.


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## Catalina Valencia (Feb 20, 2008)

Thanks to you all. Sadly I can do nothing but hit my head against a wall. Roads are functioning again, but far as good as before and, even if I had gas that is not being sold anywhere it would take me a day to reach the point where my team is.

I've not been able to contact my team in the past three days, all I can hope is that no news is goods news.


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## Catalina Valencia (Feb 20, 2008)

Thanks to you all. Sadly I can do nothing but hit my head against a wall. Roads are functioning again, but far as good as before and, even if I had gas that is not being sold anywhere it would take me a day to reach the point where my team is.

I've not been able to contact my team in the past three days, all I can hope is that no news is goods news.


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

Maybe you can get some useful information and help here: http://www.allchile.net The forum is run by expat living in Chile.


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## Catalina Valencia (Feb 20, 2008)

I am in Chile, is just that roads were blocked and bridges collapsed, so given we are one long narrow country it left my city almost isolated for several days. Now it is possible to travel north, but a trip that would have taken 8 hours before now can take a full day, exposing yourself to all kind of accidents.

Anyways, my team returned yesterday to Saniago and called me from there . They are exhausted, in need of a good shower but well. "My" dog (which is not mine, but will be forever, "my" pup) tore a leg on the debris, nothing serious, but helped to decide to return instead of keep working without the dogs, who are already to tired to be useful.

A friend of mine, one of those good friends that do not pat you on the back wrote me and angry mail and scolded me for being so frustrated. He is right and I have good reasons to be proud. If you want to got into SAR, you look for a team near where you live, in my case, when I started in SAR there was nothing, NOTHING! I made my first workshop in Argentina, where I met others Chileans interested in SAR and we founded the first civil team of the country. We organized seminars, brought instructors from abroad and opened the road for other groups to be formed. We attended Urban Rescue Seminars of the Fireman Units to teach them when and how to use K9 SAR units and taught the authorities what a SAR dog is. They started calling us, calling the other teams and then we made our first find. The first find made by a dog that does not belong to the police. We traveled abroad to different congress and became a reference for Latin America. We are still the only team with dogs certified through international standards, IRO. My team then promoted the formation of the National Association of K9 SAR teams and we are currently fighting for a national certification.

Six years ago Chile had no SAR teams, me and other three crazy persons got the ball rolling and now, when the country needed there were dogs. It has been hard, but we are pioneers and yes, we have reasons to be proud.

Sorry for the drift...


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

That is very commendable forming the search and rescue team in Chile. My husband and I have been looking at the possibility of moving to Chile. From what I've been told there is no real working dog community in Chile....but, there are "Pioneers" like you in the country.

The moderator (Expat) of the allchile.net forum has a plane and volunteer doctors and they are running a relief effort to areas in need. They have a list of missing and found people and also a list of what towns and area need what.

They are also asking for donations for the fuel through paypal. It costs about $600/day to keep the plane in the air 6-7 hours.


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