Hungarian hero dog from 2023 Turkish earthquake targeted with rat poison
A Hungarian search and rescue dog, celebrated for saving lives following the 2023 Turkish earthquake, narrowly escaped a poisoning attempt in Jászberény, Hungary.
Black, the hero dog who saved 11 people
Black, a seven-year-old Labrador retriever, is part of the rescue team that helped locate and save 11 survivors from the rubble after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, which claimed over 40,000 lives. He has also assisted in missions in India and Indonesia.
According to RTL’s report, last Sunday, Black’s owner, Marcell Mező, returned home from a training session at the Jászberény centre of the Kutyákkal az Életért (“Dogs for Life”) Foundation, only to learn that his parents had discovered a poisoned sausage left in their garden. The bait contained rat poison, and if Black had consumed it, he could have died within days.
Black would have died if he had found the sausage
“It was very fortunate that my parents found it,” Mező told RTL Híradó. “Usually, I let Black in first and then unload the car. Had I arrived earlier, he probably would have eaten the sausage.”
The Mező family maintains good relations with their neighbours and says they cannot think of anyone who might wish to harm the dog. The incident has been reported to the police, and an investigation has been launched into suspected animal cruelty by an unknown perpetrator.
Black still helps people
Black trains regularly at the Kutyákkal az Életért Foundation’s Jászberény facility, which was established in 2004. The charity focuses on saving human lives, responding to alerts from the police and disaster management authorities, and often assisting in searches for missing children and elderly individuals. The foundation also operates a small animal shelter and provides round-the-clock emergency readiness.
Marcell emphasised Black’s importance to him, saying: “He’s our partner. I work and live with him, so the value of such a dog is immeasurable.”
Why would anyone do this? There are some cruel people out there. What’s wrong with people? So sad. Now the poor dog can’t stay out in his own garden in supervised for fear people will try again. So sad