Therapeutic dog comforts family members of missing people in Miami building collapse Reuters

Surfside, Fla. (Reuters)-Some of the families of the missing in the Miami area building collapse were comforted by the treatment dogs brought while they were waiting for news in pain.

As the whereabouts of about 150 people are unknown, many of them may be buried under rubble, the Boricuas de Corazon disaster relief team brought a pair of four-legged friends: Tal, a 7-year-old Akbash, weighing 130 pounds (59 kg) and Molly, A 1-year-old Walker Coonhound.

Linda Perez, president of Boricuas de Corazon, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disaster victims, said these dogs can help victims deal with their emotions. Boricua is the nickname of Puerto Ricans, and the group provides services in English and Spanish.

Perez told Reuters that so far, the dogs have been associated with at least four families from Argentina, another family from Paraguay, and other families from Houston.

“They have panic attacks or anxiety problems, and we have been able to get them to work with the dog, touch the dog, and release their emotions,” Perez said.

Since Thursday morning, relatives of missing persons have been waiting for any signs of life from their loved ones.

“They can feel the dog, they can make contact with their eyes. It’s very neat. The animals absorb all the emotions they feel at the same time, and they can feel very relaxed for them,” Perez said.

The organization cooperates with other groups that train treatment dogs and is prepared to accompany victims for several hours as needed.

Perez said a distraught woman asked for extended canine companionship while waiting for her daughter to arrive from out of state and was told she could get support around the clock.

“These people are suffering,” Perez said. “Getting information bit by bit is not pleasant for them. They are under a lot of pressure.”