About Us

Our Mission

We seek to provide Christ's mercy and comfort to those in need through the ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church - Fort Worth and The Summit - Aledo.​

Our Work

Our Comfort Dogs are available through invitations from individuals and facilities. We work wherever requested in our community and the surrounding areas. We never charge for our visits.  Our ministry is comprised solely of volunteers.

Our Story

Pax and Phoebe Comfort Dogs

How does a Lutheran Church in Ft Worth, Texas end up with a golden retriever trained in Chicago, Illinois? Our story began just a few short years ago.

On the evening of December 14, 2012, the national news was saturated with the Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings. The news segment closed with a story about Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) K-9 Comfort Dogs, who had arrived on the scene. The specially trained dogs comforted those directly and indirectly impacted by the shootings.  At the time, our local Lutheran church was unaware of this wonderful ministry started in Chicago, IL.
 
Not long after Sandy Hook, one of St. Paul’s pastors was contacted and encouraged to look into the program. He sought approval from the staff leadership team; and, word began to spread throughout the congregation. In May 2013, the St. Paul School eighth grade graduating class gave the first financial gift towards the purchase of our dog. The process began – application filled out, ministry plan written, initial volunteers lined up.  Then, the waiting began. We could do nothing more until a dog became available.

Late in the fall, we received notification that a dog was ready.  Due to scheduling and weather, the flight to get our first dog did not occur until January 2014. Phoebe was the first LCC Comfort Dog placed quite a distance from Chicago. She was also the first and last to be picked up by a caregiver and coordinator, who had to be trained before they could leave with her. It was a high anxiety week for all except Phoebe, who remained calm throughout.

Six months into the program, we had 22 volunteers and a rapidly growing schedule. It became apparent that another dog was needed to help meet the Comfort Dog needs in Texas. Another application was filled out, a ministry plan submitted, and  more volunteers enlisted. We waited again. In July 2015, with great excitement, Pax joined the St. Paul/Summit ministry team.

Our ministry team of volunteers is honored to bring Comfort Dogs to those in need. Phoebe and Pax are supported with the utmost care and attention so they can do what they do best . . . bring comfort to anyone in need.

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