Visiting the scene of the collapsed building in George on Wednesday, Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman described sniffer dogs as a 'key' element of the search and rescue effort. Community members have been providing vital supplies and support for human and K9 personnel at the site.

Members of the George community have been quick to provide support and supplies to those involved in the rescue effort at the site of the collapsed building on Victoria Street, including the dogs from K9 units that have been essential for locating workers trapped in the rubble.

Mariann Wilson, a volunteer with the K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa, arrived in George on Monday at 8pm with her K9 partner, Echo. Half an hour later, the pair were searching for victims amid the destruction. Wilson said that the support from the local community had been "amazing".

"We've had donations of food, treats, dog beds. We've just been given some paddling pools, which is not for the heat. It's very important that once off the rubble, we clean the dogs' feet so that they don't lie down and lick their paws because then that all goes into their system ... We're very grateful for all the help from the community of George," she told Daily Maverick on Wednesday afternoon.

Wilson is one of two K9 handlers from the K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa working at the scene. The other is James Smart with his dog, Chaos....