Dogs Sent To Help Ease Pain in Newtown

About Michael John Scott
Mr. Scott is the owner and publisher of Mad Mike's America. He is a U.S. Army veteran, career law enforcement executive, and dog trainer. He is a university professor, and criminal justice consultant, holding several degrees, including a master's in criminal justice and human services. He has completed the requisite coursework toward his doctorate, and is still working on his dissertation.
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It’s long been understood that dogs can do little miracles when it comes to bringing some peace of mind, and even joy, to the lonely, weary and depressed.  They’ve long been used in nursing homes, children’s wings of hospitals, and other places that need to see a few minutes of happiness.  Now, in Newtown, a place of great sadness following the terrible shooting last Friday, dogs are being deployed to work their magic on the sad and grieving folk who lost loved ones:

With the first funerals underway in Newtown, Conn., a special source of comfort has come to visit: golden retrievers. A team of about 10 comfort dogs traveled 800 miles from the Lutheran Church Charities in Illinois to help console anyone who is grieving, the AP reports. Handlers are encouraging people to pet the dogs while praying or simply saying what’s on their mind. “Dogs are nonjudgmental. They are loving. They are accepting of anyone,” says the charity’s president. “It creates an atmosphere for people to share.”

“You could tell which ones … were really struggling with their grief because they were quiet,” says a dog handler. “They would pet the dog, and they would just be quiet.” The charity began using dogs to comfort the bereaved after the 2008 Northern Illinois University attack that killed five students. The visit proved so successful that students asked weeks later for the comfort dogs to come back to campus.

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