by Michael Robinson: Uvalde Hesperian
Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry volunteers were at the Uvalde Walmart Thursday Afternoon, May 25th for the 1st Anniversary of the Robb Elementary School Shooting.
According to Bonnie Fear, LCC K-9 Crisis Response Coordinator, Thursday was the sixth day volunteers for the organization had been in town with their specially trained comfort dogs.
Last year during the week of the Robb School tragedy, volunteers from Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry arrived in Uvalde within 24 hours to provide comfort to those impacted by the May 24th tragedy.
According to information provided by the organization: “In May 2022, LCC responded within 24 hours of an invite to Uvalde, Texas, following a mass shooting that occurred on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. An 18-year-old fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers, and wounded seventeen other people. Thirteen LCC K-9 Ministry teams served Uvalde from May 25 – June 5.”
The following information was provided by the organization about their K-9 Comfort Dogs:
“What an LCC K-9 Comfort Dog is
The purpose of a comfort dog is to interact with people of all ages and circumstances. But in particular, comfort dogs
provide a vital service to people who have undergone natural- or human-caused trauma (hurricanes, tornadoes, mass
shootings, etc.).
All dogs in the LCC program are purebred golden retrievers. What a comfort dog does: Together with their handlers (members of a sponsoring Lutheran church congregation), LCC
K-9 Ministry comfort dogs are good listeners, non-judgmental and confidential. Many people will talk to a comfort dog before talking to people. It helps them process the stress or grief that they are experiencing. Handlers are present and ready to offer compassion and prayer.
Below is a list of the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams currently serving in Uvalde, Texas:
LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Serving in Uvalde, Texas
Abner (Bethany – Austin, Texas) ; Damaris (Memorial – Katy, Texas) ; Gabriel (Messiah – Houston, Texas); Gideon (St. Michael – Bloomington, Minnesota) ; Jael (Trinity – Hobart, Indiana) :Joanna (Christ – Lincoln, Nebraska) ; Joy (Gloria Dei – Houston, Texas) ; Martha (Bethany – Austin, Texas) ;Peace (Trinity – Orlando, Florida) ; Persis (King of Kings – Glenpool, Oklahoma) and Triton (Messiah – Plano, Texas)”
About Lutheran Church Charities
Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) mission is to share the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus
Christ to those who are suffering and in need. LCC was founded in 1947 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry to help
support Christian human care ministries and is an RSO (Recognized Service Organization) of the Lutheran Church ‐
Missouri Synod. We operate with a Dollar In – Dollar Out funding process where EVERY dollar given for a cause goes
directly to that cause or need. LCC works through LCMS churches to help individuals and families. Headquartered in
Northbrook, Illinois, LCC serves nationally and internationally and never charges those we serve. All contributions
are tax‐deductible as allowed by law. LCC relies solely on individual and church contributions and does not receive
any District, Synod, State or Federal funding.
LCC is a faith‐based ministry and coordinates the deployment of thousands of volunteers for Disaster Response,
Crisis Response, and Mission projects in the United States and abroad.
LCC K‐9 Ministries include the LCC K‐9 Comfort Dogs, LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry serving the Military, Veterans, and
their families, and the LCC K‐9 Police Ministry serving police officers and their families.
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