Dog and handler teams assist in the safe effective emotional rescue, recovery, and on-going support for victims and responders affected by crisis and disaster

Emotional support dogs and their owners are helping in an evacuation center during the forest fires in southern California. Describes the Hope Crisis Response team training program. [Disaster News Network]

Therapy Dogs assisted families and relief workers following 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Other examples from September 11. Includes a poem. Therapy Dogs International (TDI) is preparing training and testing standards.

This local pet therapy group worked disaster relief following September 11 and is preparing for future needs.

Some 100 therapy dogs - Labs, mutts, a borzoi, a basset hound - and three cats worked the family center at Pier 94 following the Twin Towers attack. Other dogs helped the Red Cross to comfort firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers at ground zero. [May not work for all browsers.] [New York Times]

This non-profit organization works with national, state, and local crisis and disaster relief agencies as well as the academic community. It sponsors and hosts conferences, seminars and presentations on Canine Crisis Intervention. Articles on several aspects of this work.

Workers at Ground Zero receive therapy and a grief outlet in the shape of a golden retriever called Nikie - the site's only certified therapy dog. Other dogs helped at the city's family assistance centres. [BBC News]

Trained therapy dogs bring emotional support following the killings at Virginia Technical University. (WCAV News)

Specially trained teams of therapy animals and their handlers helped ease the pain for rescue workers, fire fighters, police, and victims' families after the September 11 attacks. Some traveled from Oregon to help at Ground Zero. [VetCentric]

Story of a gentle golden retriever that helps victims of disasters to recover emotionally. [American Red Cross]

Animals provided comfort at a crisis center near the Pentagon following September 11. All were family pets of the volunteers on the other end of the leash.

Nikie and his handler enabled hundreds of construction laborers and rescue workers to talk about the extraordinary stress of working at ground zero.

Good-natured german shepherd worked with abused children and accompanied them into court during trials. Part of the Children's Advocacy Center

"Tuffy" and her owner are part of a Certified Trauma Response K-9 Team in Massachusetts. They provide support to friends of those killed at Virginia Tech. (WMUR)