Kilian the sniffer dog searches for survivors after the Morocco quake

A golden retriever named Kilian is part of a Swedish rescue team in Morocco after the earthquake. He's a veteran of past disaster rescue missions and his handlers say he helped find 18 people alive under the rubble in Turkey earlier this year. (Carol Guzy for NPR)

TNIRTE, Morocco — The men of the village pause, lean on their shovels, sweating — and pray for the sweet sound of a dog's bark.

A hush falls over a crowd of survivors encircling a two-story mound of red clay bricks and debris — all that's left of their homes — as sniffer dogs scamper around, wearing special booties to protect their paws.