On June 24th, 2021, a tragic accident left many families heartbroken and confused. A condominium complex in the Miami area collapsed, with nearly 150 people still missing. Families are grieving as the chances of hope dwindle, so they need all the love and comfort they can get. Officials brought the best kind of comfort they could think of: two adorable dogs.
A therapy dog duo is working hard to bring comfort to the families of those who are missing. While the dogs can’t guarantee anything, they are always willing to extend a loving paw to those in pain.
Dogs Care for Victims
The Boricuas de Corazon disaster relief team has been helping the families of victims as much as possible. Of course, they know that petting a dog is a great stress reliever, so they called in two therapy dogs. Tal is a 7-year-old Akbash, a rare livestock-guarding breed from Turkey, and Molley is a 1-year-old Walker Coonhound.
These therapy dogs are there to help people process their emotions. Panic attacks and anxiety problems are just some of the many things that Tal and Molley can provide comfort for.
“They can feel the dog, they can be able to have that contact with their eyes. It’s very neat. Animals are absorbing everything emotional that they are feeling at the same time and they can be able to be very relaxing for them,” said Linda Perez, the president of Boricuas de Corazon.
The dogs have already worked with four families of the victims. These families are from a variety of locations, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Houston.
The Search Continues
So far, only nine victims have been found in the rubble, with about 150 still missing. So far, no more signs of life have been located beneath the rubble of the 12-story building. For many families, it’s just a waiting game, where they’re only expecting bad news in the end.
“These people are suffering,” Perez said. “Getting information little by little is not pleasant for them. They are under a lot of pressure.”
The cause of the destruction hasn’t been determined yet. It’s presumed to be related to a severe structural defect in the parking garage and is expected to cost at least $9.1 million dollars to repair. But sadly, that won’t bring back the lives lost.
Boricuas de Corazon has partnered with other organizations to train therapy dogs like Tal and Molley. Some therapy dogs are even trained to stay with victims for hours on end if needed. These dogs may not be able to fix the horrible situation, but they will be there to help the heartbroken families get through the pain.
H/T: reuters.com
Featured Image: Screenshots, reuters.com
Toledo, United States.
