North Texas Comfort Dogs Breed Healing, Happiness

ALEDO — He's got to be the most popular guy at school. It's his hair, his eyes, the way he walks down the hallway. The students at McCall Elementary clamor just to be near him.Pax, a fuzzy 3-year-old golden retriever, visits the school at least once a month to do what he does best: offer comfort. "They just love him," counselor Shannon Reynolds said. "We like to make Pax a really fun part of the school."Pax and Phoebe, another golden retriever, are part of the Lutheran Church Charities' comfort dog program, which includes Fort Worth's St. Paul Lutheran Church. The program sends out 100 dogs from 24 states for free visits. Pax and Phoebe spend six to seven hours a day visiting hospitals, nursing homes and anywhere else that calls for their help in North Texas.   Continue reading...