A brave dog has been hailed a hero after rescuing seven people from the debris caused by the Ecuador earthquake.

Dayko, a white labrador, died from exhaustion last Friday, having spent the previous days searching for survivors in the rubble left behind by the 7.8 magnitude quake.

The labrador had been working as a rescue dog for three and a half years before succumbing to fatifue and passing away last week due to a "massive coronary myocardial infarction and acute respiratory failure," according to the Ibra fire service’s Facebook page.

A rescue dog Dayko who was hailed a hero for saving up to 7 lives in the aftermath of the Ecuador earthquake has died from exhaustion. 😢

— ÇapaMagENG (@CapaMagENG) April 25, 2016