Eight days after Venezuela’s June 24 earthquakes, Gabriela Alves found her 6-year-old dog Buddy alive under the ruins of her home and rushed him to a McDonald’s in Caraballeda turned emergency clinic.
The restaurant, one of the few functioning sites near collapsed housing blocks, became “Hospital McDonald’s” after volunteers used its shelter and air-conditioning to treat quake victims and injured pets.
Angel Matute’s team of 70 veterinarians, students, doctors and civilians has rescued 140 animals and treated 60 more while also distributing medical supplies and helping human patients.
The reunions come amid a disaster that Venezuelan officials say killed at least 2,295 people and wounded 11,000, leaving families searching the rubble for both relatives and pets.