K-9 Comfort Dogs bring peace, calm amid fires across Washington state

With homes lost and belongings destroyed, Spokane, WA,
​families find encouragement in K-9 visits.

Amidst distraught families who have lost everything to the fires ravaging Spokane, WA, a moment of comfort, care, and mercy pads in on four furry paws. 

Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Teams Fisher (Christ The King - Coeur d'Alene, ID) and Isaac (Redeemer - Spokane Valley, WA) are visiting sites around Washington, letting those in need know they are only a hand stroke away. 

And with the fires continuing to burn and leaving destruction in their wake, the need is great. 

Many have lost their homes and all their belongings and are spending nights in Red Cross shelters. The welcoming look of a friendly pup can bring a smile to their face, something that is sorely needed in this part of the country.

“So far we’ve had wonderful response from all of our handlers and ministry partners,” said Miriam Deuel, Top Dog for Fisher. 

The Comfort Dog teams will be present every day this week in Spokane, and probably even beyond as they meet with those suffering and those working tirelessly to help those who suffered. 

The teams received an open-ended invitation to come to the fire incident command center at Mount Spokane High School at any time. 

“It’s an incredible set-up with dedicated, hardworking folks,” notes handler Debbie. “The firefighters are on 12-hour shifts. There are probably 100 tents they are sleeping in on the sports fields. Some sleep in their trucks. The parking lot is full of red and yellow trucks from all over the U.S.” 

As much as the firefighters and emergency volunteers are helping the displaced residents, the K-9 teams are providing their own care as well.

“There was one woman and her husband who were walking by us, and she had tears in her eyes,” says Miriam. “She made eye contact with Fisher and a slight smile appeared on her face. I asked her, ‘Do you want to say hi to Fisher?  She’s here for you!’ She burst into tears and went straight in for a hug. Then she looked up and said, “We just found out that our house burned down. We came here to find out what our resources are. My kids and pets are safe, but we don’t have any food or clothing.  I don’t even know where to begin.’ The weight they were carrying was palpable.”

Miriam also recounted meeting a single mother of two with a severely autistic son. He would go from calm to an outburst with almost no warning, and the small dogs that were caged in the shelter were a trigger for him, she said. Jessica, the mom, told the team,

“He probably won’t pet the dog.  He’s scared of dogs.” 

No sooner did she say that when the little boy slid off his wheelchair and went right over to Isaac! 

After a few minutes of petting Isaac, he shifted to Fisher. 

“Jessica said she was surprised by her son’s reaction, but I could tell she was very grateful for the distraction,” said Miriam.

The mother, son and daughter came back multiple times that day, and the K-9 team gave the family a dog stuffed animal to take with them.

“Watching her try so hard to keep her son calm in this chaos, she seriously deserved a gold medal,” noted Miriam. “She was so calm and loving to him even when he was melting down. My heart just broke for her.  She didn't know if their house had survived the fire yet.”