In times of tragedy, sickness, and strife, sometimes nothing feels better than cuddles and attention from our favorite four-legged friends.
Playing with dogs can help quell our stress, making us feel better emotionally and physically — they can even help deal with PTSD.
This is why therapy dogs have been such important resources for those who are in need of comfort and care. Trained specifically to provide comfort, therapy dogs have been used under a multitude of circumstances in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools.
But they have also been a particularly pertinent resource during the various tragedies that have happened in the country over the past few years. They have been there for victims and their loved ones to brighten their day and give them something to let and love.
One particular fluffy therapy fleet, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs, has been providing comfort for victims of the Sunday tragedy in Orlando.
These dogs are providing important emotional support for those in need, giving them something innocent to focus on while they grieve and process.
Check out more photos of these amazing group of golden retrievers below.
[H/T: Yahoo]
This morning, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs and 20 volunteers headed down to Orlando to offer support, affection, and cuddles to those who were affected by Sunday's tragic events.
Recognized by their signature blue vests, the 12 dogs have gone through lengthy training prior to being in action, ensuring that they are calm, happy, and friendly in light of stressful circumstances.
Created in 2008 with only four therapy dogs, the program has ballooned over the years to include over 100 dogs in 23 states.
They have been present to offer comfort on the scene of multiple national tragedies, including the Sandy Hook Shooting to the Boston Marathon Bombing.
The aid from these dogs can actually benefit their patient's physical, as well as their emotional, well-being.
"Your blood pressure goes down when you pet a dog, you feel more comfortable, and people end up talking," told LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs' president, Tim Hetzner, to ABC.
"They're good listeners, they're nonjudgmental, they're confidential."
While in Orlando, the comfort dogs will be working with first responders and at local hospitals, where they will be interacting with the victims and their families.
Though the trying tragedy has certainly shaken the country, the many volunteers including these loving pups are helping to unsure that kindness and support still reigns prominently in the area.
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