Therapy dogs bring comfort to Boston victims (w/pic)

[The Straight Story]

The very same therapy dogs that comforted grieving friends and family following December’s Newtown school shootings arrived in Boston earlier this week. With hundreds injured and many undergoing amputations following the marathon bombings, the K-9 Comfort Dogs help provide affection and emotional release.

The organisation works with 67 specially trained dogs in seven US states. They usually work in churches and schools, but are ready to be deployed in crisis situations. The dogs have comforted victims after Hurricane Sandy, the Joplin tornado tragedy and Hurricane Katrina. In Boston, they are visiting hospitals and attending memorial services.

They are currently stationed at a Lutheran church just a few blocks away from the marathon’s finishing line, where the bombs exploded. The community is invited to stop by and see them. They are also visiting hospitals and memorial services.

“A woman who had just undergone surgery on her leg got out her bed and took her first step in order to play with one of the dogs”
Tim Hetzner is president of Lutheran Church Charities. He lives in Chicago, but is currently in Boston with five therapy dogs. He started K-9 Comfort Dogs in August 2008.

http://observers.france24.com/content/20130419-therapy-dogs-bring-comfort-boston-victims?ns_campaign=observateurs&ns_source=FB&ns_mchannel=reseaux_sociaux&ns_fee=0&ns_linkname=20130419_observers_therapy_dogs_bring_comfort_boston_victims

[Eleanors38]

1. Dogs are partners, always ready to help.

[longship]

2. Must have something in my eye... nt

R&K

[Control-Z]

3. Those beautiful dogs!

Just look at them! I can't imagine not being comforted, if only for a moment, by those beauties! Sorry they are needed. Grateful they are there.

[sheshe2]

4. Kick and Rec!

Sweet Therapy!

[Earth_First]

5. Golden Retrievers...

go figure!

There's a reason why I have had a Golden in my life for nearly 33 years.

Bless these animals!

Thanks for the OP

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Beautiful doggies!

[ReRe]

7. There truly is nothing more curative...

... than a smiling golden retriever. Except for two or more of them in one room.
Thank you for sharing!

[smirkymonkey]

8. So Sweet!

Goldens are so healing and loving.

[stopwastingmymoney]

9. My step mama recently broke her forearm badly

When I went to visit her a couple days later, I took my dog with me.

Sally was immediately concerned with the bandages, sniffed all around them and then began licking her upper arm.

She was so sweet and loving, I can easily picture how much comfort these dogs can bring.