The dogs were identified in the gardens on the outskirts of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Province, and were delivered to the Red Crescent, said Payam Jalali, managing director of Kurdistan Red Crescent provincial branch.

Despite stealing these sniffer dogs, the provincial branch continued its relief operational with three other dogs non-stop.

Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) began training sniffer dogs in 1999. The dogs join the Red Crescent from the age of three months. First, they are given basic training and then the dogs are given specialized training in the fields of tracing the injured people under debris to help the relief workers in disasters.