In September 19as, an earthquake devastated Mexico City and claimed more than 6,000 lives. But the rescuers had help in saving the survivors who were trapped under several floors of steel and concrete. Shirley Hammond and her search dog named Cinnamon were among the 13 teams of dogs and handlers from the United States that assisted in the search through the rubble of the central district of Mexico City. Shirley and Cinnamon slowly made their way to the area where some workers thought they had heard voices.Shirley knew from her training that Cinnamon would stay focused while crawling toward an area of concrete rubble. The dog began sniffing and pawing at the rubble. Then she barked and pawed more intensely. She had detected human scent. Shirley knew she had to call for another dog to confirm the alert before they could commit resources to a long and grueling rescue effort. But in a short time, another team arrived and confirmed Cinnanon's findings. It took several days to reach the 12 trapped factory workers. "Nothing is more exciting than finding someone who is trapped or lost," says Shirley. She says that the ability of the dogs to find people never ceases to amaze her. She notes that during rescue missions the dogs are supposed to alert their handlers only to live people, as opposed to those