from rescue operation in Turkey after major earthquake.
Rescuers ready to travel to Turkey and Syria are feeling “sick” after being told to step down.
Dog handlers Emma Whittle and Brian Jones had expected to travel with a sniffer dog team to help after the earthquake.
The death toll is currently more than 7,200.
Ms Whittle and Mr Jones had hoped they could use their specialized search dogs to help rescue survivors from the rubble.
Mr Jones, of British International Rescue and Search Dogs (BIRSD), based in Penmaenmawr, Conwy County, said he felt “very ill because every little bit helps”.
He said dogs could help locate areas where people might be trapped.
“Instead of 30 square meters, it can be five square meters, and we know there’s an odor coming from the rubble in that area,” he explained.
“So we know we can mark that area for Serve On to come and get the body out.”
The magnitude of the quake was classified as “severe” on the official magnitude scale
Serve On is a humanitarian crisis organization that operates nationally and internationally.
Mr Jones said a team was dispatched by the UK government on Monday.
He said: “I think they had four dogs with them. We asked if they needed our services, they said ‘yes, thanks for the offer’.
“We were then put on standby by Serve On. We sat there that night.
“In the morning we got a notification from Serve On that they were dropped off and couldn’t come into the country.
“The problem lies between our government and the Syrian government. They couldn’t get permission to go there.”
Ms Whittle has never worked after an earthquake but was called to help following a landslide in Malaysia.
“Time is of the essence, the sooner we get out of this the better,” she said.
The disaster struck early Monday morning when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Gaziantep in Turkey.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake followed, which had its epicenter in Elbistan in the south of the country.
On Monday, 76 rescue specialists were dispatched by the UK government to help find survivors.
The Welsh Institute for International Affairs and the Syrian Welsh Society are asking for donations to local organizations.
Mohammed Alhadj Ali of the Syrian Welsh Society said the situation was “catastrophic”.
Mohammed Alhadj Ali of the Syrian Welsh Society called the situation “catastrophic”.
He said: “They need medical help, they need shelter, help and support to get people out of the rooms.
“It’s a top priority, to be honest.”
dr Ali said friends had told him the winter in Syria had been difficult.
Fuel for heating is not available, food is scarce and prices have risen.
“They’ve had air raids, they’ve had the bombings, the floods, harsh winters and tough summers,” he said.
“It’s been a decade of tragedy in Syria.”
Welsh Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt said she saw a message of sympathy addressed to the Turkish ambassador.
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