K-9 Comfort Dogs Go to School
If you couldn’t find a colleague at the 2013 LEA Convocation in Milwaukee, chances are they were getting comfort from one of the 11 sweet golden retrievers in the back right corner of the Exhibit Hall.
Most of you have heard of the K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry through Lutheran Church Charities (LCC). These are working dogs, trained to the level of a service dog, who open doors to the mercy, compassion, presence, and love of Jesus.
There are currently more than 90 LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs in 21 states placed in the ministry of “being the bridge to Jesus.” Demand for these highly trained dogs continues to grow and the ministry continues to expand. About 15 of the Comfort Dogs are based with LCC in Chicago. The rest are placed in LCMS congregations and schools across the country. More than 40 of the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs work in Lutheran schools, and students and teachers are their primary focus in ministry.
In the photo at right, the Joplin Comfort Dogs, Jackson and Louie, are on their way to share Christ’s Comfort with the people of Nashville, Illinois. They were asked to provide comfort and care following the January 7, 2015, Kentucky plane crash in which a 7-year-old girl was the only survivor.
It’s Not about the Dogs!
Although these golden retrievers are kind of like rock stars in their schools and in the community, the ministry isn’t about the dogs. The ministry is all about people and how we respond to others as Christians. The dogs are an instrument for us to talk about Jesus!
It’s a Comfort Dog’s Life
Here are some ways Comfort Dogs help in schools on a regular basis:
- Greet students as they come into school
- Participate in reading/library time with primary grades
- Act as a gentle listener when students need to talk (Counselor)
- Promote the K-9 Comfort Dog ministry in the community (Outreach)
- Attend staff meetings/devotions. Provide comfort to teachers
- Attend chapel services
- Visit sick students/family members in the hospital
- Accompany students for outreach/community service. For example: blood drives, nursing homes, homeless shelters, police and fire stations, 5K fundraisers.
- Make an excellent friend on the playground
- Work with counselor in providing 1:1 therapy
- Encourage prayer/Model empathy
- Meet alumni/prospective students
- Available to provide comfort during grief counseling
- Participate in school activities. The Comfort Dog is like a really cool student.
- Educate kids about how to interact with a dog
- Help students overcome fear of dogs
- Give students, teachers, and parents a reason to be joyful and grateful. It’s no coincidence that DOG is GOD spelled backwards! Having a Comfort Dog in school gives the community plenty of opportunities to talk about how LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs can be the hands and feet of Jesus, and along with their handlers talk about Jesus and the power of the Gospel.
Please Pet Me!
Those are the words stitched on every Comfort Dog’s vest. It’s an invitation to be comforted. And it’s difficult to not pet these dogs!
Just in the first few months of her placement, Dora Comfort Dog, in ministry with the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, has already made a huge impact at the three Lutheran high schools she serves as well as the area elementary schools and surrounding communities. High school students call out her name when they see her walking down the halls and know to look for her at school events. One student says, “Everyone here kind of thinks that Dora is their dog. If I see her across the hall at school or get a chance to pet her, my day is so much better!”
Dora has met with grade school and high school students who are grieving; some for a lost parent or grandparent, some for a family member who has a serious illness. Dora has also provided comfort to a student who is moving, to a family who lost everything in a fire, and to a girl who lost a beloved pet. Students and staff are quickly figuring out that if they need some 1:1 time with Dora, it will happen.
Teachers also need comfort, and since the Comfort Dogs are trained to recognize when someone is hurting, it’s a perfect match! Recently Dora and one of her handlers were meeting a first-grade class at a Lutheran school for a presentation. Uncharacteristically Dora left the handler’s side and moved next to the teacher, put her head in the teacher’s lap and stayed there for 20 minutes. Turns out the teacher had a really rough morning. No one else knew, but the Comfort Dog sensed something and specifically provided comfort to her.
Model Students
It also turns out K-9 Comfort Dogs are great role models for students! Teachers like to point out that when students are working it’s like they have a vest on – just like when the dogs are working really hard to stay calm and focused. When it’s time for recess (free time for the dogs), the vest comes off, and the dog is well-behaved, but having fun playing.
Jill Zempel is editor of ShapingtheFuture. She lives in Milwaukee, where her daughters attend Lutheran schools. Jill is also a handler for Dora Comfort Dog.
