Faith, family, sports — and a few K-9 Comfort Dogs

Connecting with families and sharing moments of encouragement ​

An evening filled with faith, family, sports, food, and fun gave LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs an opportunity to connect with children, parents, and community members at Grace Lutheran Ministries in Menomonee Falls, WI, on Thursday, Sep. 10.

As part of the sports-themed event, the evening featured an inspirational message from Milwaukee Brewers Team Chaplain Alonso Ibarra as well as appearances by other special guest players and displays of sports memorabilia. Attendees also enjoyed free food and snow cones, inflatables to climb around, various games, and a raffle.

And among all the activities were five LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs, ready to meet families and provide opportunities for meaningful interactions.

The K-9 teams included Sage Comfort Dog (Concordia University – Mequon, WI) with Maggie Leimkuehler; Samaria Comfort Dog (Shepherd of the Hills – Greenville, WI) with Linda Neumann and Cheryl Behm; Hagar Comfort Dog (Faith – Appleton, WI) with Tim and Joann Schwan; Charity Comfort Dog (Brookfield – Brookfield, WI) with Ann and Brad Kerhin and Sue Beck; and Believe Comfort Dog (Brookfield – Brookfield, WI) with Jeff and Keri Yesko.

As children and families moved between activities, many stopped to spend time with the dogs. Children petted and cuddled the Comfort Dogs as they relaxed on quilts, while handlers shared information about the Comfort Dog Ministry and the work of the teams in their communities.

The church described the evening as a time for “fun, fellowship, food, and faith-filled encouragement,” reminding those attending to keep “faith first, family second, and activities third.”

For the K-9 teams, however, the evening became about much more than a community gathering. Several unexpected encounters provided reminders of the lasting impact a Comfort Dog can have in someone’s life.

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For Maggie Leimkuehler and Sage, one of those moments came when a man recognized the Comfort Dog who had visited him while he was in the hospital.

He shared part of his story with Leimkuehler and told her how much Sage’s visit had meant to him. He is still facing a long recovery, but seeing Sage again gave him another opportunity to share his gratitude and receive encouragement.

It was a powerful reminder that a Comfort Dog visit can stay with someone long after the initial encounter.
For Jeff and Keri Yesko with Believe, another conversation revealed a similar story of hope.

They spoke with a man who had spent 56 days in the hospital. He told them that he was not expected to survive, but, as he put it, God had other plans.

During his long hospitalization, he was visited several times by a Comfort Dog. He shared how much those visits had meant to him and expressed his appreciation for the ministry.

What was billed as a family event became an opportunity for the Comfort Dog teams to listen to someone's story, offer encouragement, and witness the ways God works through the ministry.

The teams were grateful to be part of a night that brought families together and created space for faith-filled conversations. And they were thrilled to connect with so many people that had met the dogs before. 
Brad and Ann Kerhin were pleasantly surprised by the number of children and adults who told them they had met Charity before.

“That just goes to show the impact that these dogs have on people’s lives,” they shared.