'It's very emotional': Local canine crisis team provides comfort to Uvalde survivors
'It's very emotional': Local canine crisis team provides comfort to Uvalde survivors
Crisis Response Canines, a non-profit organization based in Sicklerville, New Jersey, just returned home from a six-day deployment to Uvalde following the mass murder of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - As the nation reels from last week's horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, some local volunteers are back in the Delaware Valley after providing comfort to the community.
"It’s very emotional, it really is," stated John Hunt, Chief Operations Officer with Crisis Response Canines.
Hunt and his teammates from Crisis Response Canines, a non-profit organization based in Sicklerville, New Jersey, just returned home from a six-day deployment to Uvalde following the mass murder of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
RELATED HEADLINES:
- Texas school shooting: 19 children, 2 adults killed before gunman shot
- Texas school shooting: What we know about the victims in Uvalde
- Local K9 crisis team helps comfort Buffalo community shaken by supermarket shooting
- Crisis dogs bring comfort to Buffalo first responders after mass shooting
"We were directly involved with a lot of the children. It’s very challenging for all those in the community," Hunt explained.
Hunt says the dogs comforted students who came in direct contact with the Uvalde shooter, children who watched as their classmates and teachers were viciously murdered. Becky Langer says during the trip, her dog, Exon, identified a woman in distress. He was drawn to her and she to him.
"He came up behind her. I didn’t want to scare her and said, ‘Do you like dogs?’ She says, ‘No, I’m afraid of dogs.’ And she looked at Exon and said, ‘But, I suddenly love him,’" Langer said. "He laid down next to her and she kept her hand on him. That, for me, is exactly why we are there. She needed that."
The team visited several sites in Uvalde, including Robb Elementary School, a local church, town plaza and police department, looking to support as many people as possible during their stay.
"We understand that they have a long way to go and it’s just the beginning of the process. We hopefully served as a bridge to move that forward," Hunt added.