Comfort Dogs Traveled From All Over To Comfort Orlando Victims And Families
In the midst of tragedy, there are at least a few people (and dogs) doing what they can to help.
The Orlando tragedy was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
With 49 innocent dead and another 53 injured, we're all grieving for the victims and their families. Most of us feel helpless, like there's nothing we can do but send thoughts and prayers. It's awful.
But there's one group of dogs and humans out there trying their best to do even more.
Just hours following the shooting, a specialized group of canines and their handlers were booking flights to Florida.
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs, organized by Chicago-based organization Lutheran Church Charities, left for Florida within a day of the tragedy. Dogs and their handlers came from all over the country to lend a hand in Orlando.
The comfort dogs are trained, quite literally, to comfort.
When an individual or a group experiences some kind of trauma, crisis or tragedy, comfort dogs are brought in to ease the stress and terror of the victim or victim's loved ones. They shower people with their classic, unconditional canine affection and help them feel some sense of normalcy or comfort. If you've ever owned a dog, you know the remarkable sense of ease they can bring.
Less than 24 hours after being invited to Orlando, the LCC and their canine pals arrived.
According to The Dodo , the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs were "invited by a church in Orlando, near where the attack took place." The LCC contacted comfort dogs across the nation to join them, and the call was answered, as people and dogs alike were itching to help in whatever way possible.
Dogs and handlers flew in from all over the US to comfort the victims and their friends and families.
Pups and people flew in from Iowa, Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin to help anyone they could.
Hopefully, the dogs can help the people of Orlando on the long journey of healing from the tragedy.
According to Tim Hetzner, president of the LCC, the comfort dogs help people open up and talk. "When you pet a dog, your blood pressure goes down and you relax. When you relax, there's a greater chance that you'll want to talk about what you've been through." Each LCC comfort dog has its own social media profile on Facebook and Twitter, where you can get a sense of their personality. Each seems like a remarkably sweet dog totally cut out for the job.
Without a doubt, the comfort dogs and their caretakers have embarked on a remarkable journey of kindness.
Orlando has a long road ahead of it, but it's very uplifting to see people and animals alike putting in so much effort to care for others who really need it. At the very least, these dogs and their organization show there's still plenty of love in the world.