Roma, a former street dog from Los Angeles, has been honoured with the Pet Hero Award for her search-and-rescue work following a devastating earthquake in Venezuela. The six-year-old black Labrador and her handler, Los Angeles County firefighter Derek Morree, were named this year’s recipients by the Helen Woodward Animal Center at its annual Remember Me Thursday ceremony.

Roma spent her first months living on the streets before a rescue group spotted her potential and connected her with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, which trained her as an urban search-and-rescue canine. She and Morree deployed to Venezuela for a 10-day mission, searching collapsed structures for survivors and helping locate more than a dozen people trapped in the rubble.

Morree, her partner of five years, called the deployment heavy but rewarding. When off duty, Roma enjoys fetch, hikes and swimming. Helen Woodward’s annual ceremony coincides with Remember Me Thursday, a day dedicated to orphan pets still waiting in shelters for homes.