The Israel Dog Unit, a nonprofit specializing in working dogs, carried out a special training exercise on Monday at a site simulating a building collapse aimed at improving real-time response capabilities and preparing dogs to locate missing or trapped individuals under rubble.
The exercise focused on practicing disaster scenarios in which people may be buried beneath collapsed structures. During the drill, dog handlers trained rescue dogs to detect and locate individuals in debris, a key capability used during emergencies such as building collapses or attacks.
Participating in the exercise were Yochai Faragi, acting mayor of Harish, and Moshe Ben Zikri, deputy mayor and the city's security director. The officials observed the training and expressed support for the unit’s work in strengthening local and national emergency preparedness.
The training took place against the backdrop of the security situation surrounding Operation Roaring Lion. According to the unit, maintaining a high level of operational readiness is essential so that the canine teams and their handlers can quickly respond to a wide range of potential incidents.
The unit emphasized that the exercise also aimed to train additional rescue dogs to join ongoing search and rescue operations.