Poodle survives 29 days in rubble beside owner's mother after Venezuela quake kills 5,500

A poodle trapped for 29 days beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela — where a powerful earthquake has killed more than 5,500 people — has been rescued alive, having refused to leave the side of its owner's deceased mother.

According to the New York Post and other foreign media, the poodle, named Bailey, was pulled from the debris on July 23 in Catia La Mar, a port city in Venezuela's La Guaira state, 29 days after the earthquake struck.

Rescue teams discovered Bailey while searching the wreckage for missing persons.

The dog was found huddled next to the body of the mother of its owner, 11-year-old Victoria Rengel, covered in dust, local media reported.

Victoria narrowly survived the twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that struck last month, but her mother and grandmother did not.

In an interview with local media, she said she believed Bailey had been trying to protect her mother.

Rescue footage showed Bailey frantically drinking water offered by a firefighter moments after being pulled from the rubble.

Bailey was taken immediately to a veterinary clinic for treatment and is now recovering, despite having gone without adequate food or water for nearly a month.

The veterinarian who treated Bailey called the survival a miracle. "This is truly a miracle. Everything that happened to this little one is like a miracle," the vet said, adding that Bailey had some ulcers in the eyes but would recover soon.

Victoria has since been reunited with Bailey at a relief center, where the two are staying together. "I will always remember how much Bailey loved our mom," she said.

The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 have killed more than 5,500 people and injured about 17,000, according to the latest tallies.

Rescue authorities are continuing to search for missing persons and survivors, particularly in the La Guaira area, with residents joining the effort armed with pickaxes and power hammers.

Experts say it is not uncommon for pets to survive longer than expected in major disasters when confined to small spaces with minimal movement, even after suffering severe stress, dehydration and malnutrition. However, they caution that dehydration, infection and organ deterioration can set in after rescue, making prompt veterinary care and ongoing health monitoring critical.