One Year Later, Comfort Dogs Continue to Heal Hamilton, IL

Kira King from Hamilton School District, IL, reached out to request the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry for the Staff Family Fun Night on January 30. The Comfort Dogs were scheduled to arrive at 3:40 p.m. and remain until 7:00 p.m., joining approximately 250 staff members and family participants for the evening.

According to Kira, this annual Family Fun Night was especially meaningful as it fell near the one-year anniversary of a tragedy the district experienced the previous January. Last year, three Comfort Dogs attended the event and were the highlight of the evening. Since then, many staff members reached out requesting that the dogs return again this year. During last year’s event, people spent time simply visiting with the dogs on the turf, an experience that brought calm and connection. The Comfort Dog Ministry had also been a steady presence for the district following a bus accident the previous January, offering support during a difficult time.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Charity (Brookfield - Brookfield, WI), Gethsemane (Lord of Glory - Grayslake, IL), Mary (St. Paul - Janesville, WI), and Tobias (Lord of Glory - Grayslake, IL) were present with their handlers, offering quiet support, familiar smiles, and meaningful connections.

One of Charity’s handlers shared meaningful moments from the evening, recalling comments such as, “They’re the only reason I came tonight,” and “Thank you for always being with us everywhere.” Children were excited to tell their friends that they “knew” certain dogs, and the dance team could be heard cheering when they recognized the pups from a visit just a week earlier—a welcome break from their intense practices as they prepared for the state competition the following weekend.

“When the district needed something to help a year ago but maybe didn’t know what that something was, we came in,” the handler reflected. “We came in quietly, not for show, but to truly help the staff and students. I think the humble help left an impression amongst an entire community who embraced us then and now.”

Tobias’s handler shared a moment of connection that illustrated the ongoing relationships being built. While standing near the dance team, a woman stepped out of the basketball game to visit the dogs. Both recognized each other as familiar, eventually realizing they had met just weeks earlier during a Comfort Dog visit at Lannon, where she taught.

Mary’s handlers, Tom and Dianne Moore, reflected on the growing bond with the district. Though they were unable to attend that particular night, they noted that scrolling through photos brought similar thoughts about the special relationship formed with the entire school system. During a recent exam de-stress visit at Hamilton High School, staff expressed deep appreciation, and students lit up when they entered the cafeteria calling out the names of dogs they remembered. They shared that while a terrible tragedy brought the Comfort Dog Ministry to the community a year ago, the continued relationships—and the opportunity to share the love of Jesus—are what the ministry is truly about.

Gethsemane’s handler described a heartfelt conversation with a high school-aged student who was curious about the Comfort Dog program itself. The student asked thoughtful questions and was excited to learn how the program works. Those conversations, the handler shared, inspire others to pass along the love and support the Comfort Dogs bring, creating a ripple effect of comfort and care. It was an experience that filled her cup just as much as it did the student’s.

Throughout the evening, the group of pups was clearly anticipated and warmly welcomed. As one attendee summed it up, “They were the talk of the town, and we couldn’t wait to see them tonight.”

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