OSO, Wash. — The idea of dog as man's best friend took on a whole new meaning in the small town of Oso this week.

Following a deadly mudslide that has left 17 dead with many more missing and presumed dead, authorities say search dogs have been the most valuable asset in finding victims amid the mud and rubble. But these search dogs on the front lines aren't the only canines lending a paw to the local community. On Thursday, three "comfort dogs" spent hours inside the Oso Fire Department providing rescue workers and volunteers with a calming, lovable distraction.

Sumi, a 6-yr-old Akita, is one of numerous "comfort dogs" at #Oso FD to help with stressed rescue workers. #530slide pic.twitter.com/Wdp1QQMQsg

— Kurt Wagner (@KurtWagner8) March 27, 2014

Multiple comfort dogs, also known as "crisis therapy dogs," have been spending time with rescuers and emergency responders since the beginning of the week in the Oso area. Rescuers have been spending long hours in the mud, rain, and debris, sifting through the personal belongings of those lost in the mudslide and even locating and extracting the dead. It's been overwhelming, particularly for locals who have friends or family still missing.

Organizations like the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology out of Hugo, Minn., and HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, an organization with regions covering 30 U.S. states, have traveled with dogs to provide a calming presence wherever they're needed.

Levi, a 15-month-old, full blood Great Dane, spent Thursday morning walking around the Oso Fire Department where more than 80 citizen volunteers awaited an opportunity to head up to the slide zone. There are more volunteers than authorities can utilize, meaning some sit on standby for hours, if not days at a time.

Levi, who has been trained since he was six-months-old, was a hit with those waiting around as rescue volunteers petted him throughout the day, receiving dog kisses in exchange. His handler, Pam Selz of Green Cross, says that dogs like Levi often get people talking, at which point both the dog and its handler can provide further comfort.

Sumi, a 6-year-old Akita, was also on hand Thursday with her handler Sherrie Wright from HOPE, who began handling and training Sumi after retiring from the Spokane County Superior Court five years ago. Sumi spent many weeks training before taking and passing a three-day boot camp, consisting of vigorous eight-hour training days and culminating in certification as a crisis response animal, says Wright.

Image: Kurt Wagner/Mashable

It's not an easy process, she added, and most dogs aren't cut out for the job. Handlers look for dogs that aren't too lively or sensitive to unexpected noises, qualities that can't really be taught. "They either have it or they don't," she says.

HOPE has three dogs in the area, all of which were driven over from Spokane, a five-hour drive. Other dogs are on their way from California and Montana, says Michael Wright, Sherrie's husband and a fellow HOPE volunteer. HOPE, a non-profit founded in Oregon in 2001, has provided canines to some of the country's most highly visible crises in the past decade. HOPE dogs were present following the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, the Colorado wildfires in the summer of 2013, and the naval yard shooting in Washington, D.C., last fall.

Handlers and dogs don't visit the hospitals or the families of the deceased unless they are invited, says Michael. It's one of the challenges of the job: understanding where to intervene and where to back off. "[The toughest part of the job] is to kinda be aware of your limitations and the dog's limitations," says Sherrie.

For the next few days, these comfort dogs will be available where needed around the Oso community. Wright says the dogs can identify humans in need. "When people are stressed, [Sumi] can sense that and goes up to them."

With extensive national media attention, 90 people still missing, and the rains continuing to come down, that's a small solace that only a dog can provide.

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