(HealthDay News) Comfort dogs come to the emotional rescue of people who are suffering in the aftermath of disasters or battling the difficulties of daily life.
Their job is deceptively simple: to get people to open up and talk about what happened.
Amy Rideout, president of HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, a national organization with more than 100 certified dog-handler teams, said engaging in a discussion about an experience is healing and helps a person to overcome a traumatic event.
There are other health benefits the pooches provide. Research has shown the simple act of petting a dog helps to lower blood pressure, lift spirits and reduce stress.
"There are not too many things that we can do that can make an instantaneous impact on somebody, so this is special work," she said.
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Please do not give advice. We can best help each other by telling what works for us, not what we think someone else should do.