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- Jul 10, 2004
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When golden retrievers visited Boston Marathon bombing victims this week, they put their paws up on the hospital beds to make it easier for patients to pet their soft, blonde fur.
First, the patients smiled, said Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, which organizes K-9 Comfort Dogs. But soon, they started talking to the "furry counselors."
"They tell the dog the story of what happened," Hetzner said. "Dogs are great listeners . They can sense when someone is struggling."
Hetzner brought five of the organization's 60 comfort dogs to Boston: Addie, Isaiah, Luther, Maggie and Ruthie. Addie and Maggie had been working in Newtown, Conn., since Sandy Hook Elementary School re-opened, but they were off this week because the children were on spring break.
Maggie and the others are certified service dogs, but instead of being paired with individuals with disabilities, they go to churches, hospitals, schools and anywhere else they're needed, Hetzner said.
The dogs, who arrived on Tuesday, spent several hours outside the First Lutheran Church of Boston on Berkeley Street, for instance, lying down on the red brick steps so that people could sit with them for a hug or two.
"Some people hold onto the dog for five minutes or more because that's what they need," Hetzner said. "It depends on the person and what they're going through."
Dogs Comfort Bostonians After Marathon Bombings - ABC News
First, the patients smiled, said Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, which organizes K-9 Comfort Dogs. But soon, they started talking to the "furry counselors."
"They tell the dog the story of what happened," Hetzner said. "Dogs are great listeners . They can sense when someone is struggling."
Hetzner brought five of the organization's 60 comfort dogs to Boston: Addie, Isaiah, Luther, Maggie and Ruthie. Addie and Maggie had been working in Newtown, Conn., since Sandy Hook Elementary School re-opened, but they were off this week because the children were on spring break.
Maggie and the others are certified service dogs, but instead of being paired with individuals with disabilities, they go to churches, hospitals, schools and anywhere else they're needed, Hetzner said.
The dogs, who arrived on Tuesday, spent several hours outside the First Lutheran Church of Boston on Berkeley Street, for instance, lying down on the red brick steps so that people could sit with them for a hug or two.
"Some people hold onto the dog for five minutes or more because that's what they need," Hetzner said. "It depends on the person and what they're going through."
Dogs Comfort Bostonians After Marathon Bombings - ABC News
