Cuddly comfort dogs are coming to the Boston Marathon this weekend

Courtesy Facebook/LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs

Cuddly comfort dogs are coming to the Boston Marathon this weekend
(Image credit: Courtesy Facebook/LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs)

The golden retrievers that gained national attention last year for helping those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing are plotting a comeback tour. Lutheran Church Charities said it's bringing back the familiar furry friends to this year's race to help those still rattled by last year's tragic attack.

"Dogs just bring a wonderful comfort," said the church's president, Tim Hetzner. "They're a calming presence and allow victims to open up and talk about what happened — which is a critical part of the healing process." The cuddly creatures were first dispatched to Newtown, Conn., following the shootings at Sandy Hook to help calm kids down.

Six therapy retrievers will be on a whirlwind tour of Boston this weekend. In addition to mingling with the public downtown, the pups are slated to visit hospitals, victims' families, and first responders. "Our goal is to bring mercy and healing to those that are not only physically affected, but emotionally affected, too," said Hetnzer.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

After all, happiness is a warm puppy.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.