Comfort Dog

Our LCC K-9 Comfort/Kare 9 Military Dog Glory was officially commissioned at Christ Lincoln on June 22, 2025. In May, her ten handlers trained at Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) in Northbrook, Illinois, and then brought her to Lincoln to continue training. In addition to greeting at our church and schools, Glory Comfort Dog regularly visits first responders and veterans and loves to visit students of all ages from preschool to college. Team Glory makes monthly visits to hospice, memory care, and assisted living facilities in Lincoln and goes to Beatrice to the hospital and to Mosaic disability services. When invited, we respond to special visit requests and emergency site visit requests in our community, state, and country to provide comfort in times of disaster and crisis. In her first year, Glory served at K-12 schools in Bennet, Seward, and Sterling and at Concordia University due to student deaths.

Our LCC K-9 Comfort/Kare 9 Military Dog Joanna came to Lincoln in mid February 2019 and was commissioned on March 3. She has made many friends when she greets at our church services and in our Christ Lincoln Schools’ child care and elementary classes. Over the years, she had over 25 monthly recurring visits and brought comfort to people in assisted living, skilled nursing, long-term care, and memory care facilities; rehabilitation centers; hospice care; the VA; and the cancer center. Joanna Comfort Dog has visited many different organizations, schools, and churches in Lincoln as well as throughout Nebraska and in Iowa. On national deployments with other K-9 Comfort Dog teams, Team Joanna has served after shootings in Highlands Ranch and Boulder, Colorado; El Paso and Uvalde, Texas; and Perry, Iowa. We also served after tragic deaths in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, and near Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. View pictures and videos of Joanna’s years of service.

Launched in August 2008, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is a national human-care ministry embracing the unique, calming nature and skills of purebred Golden Retrievers. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and handlers, Kare 9 Military Ministry Dogs and veteran handlers, and LCC K-9 Police Ministry Dogs and law enforcement officer handlers are a bridge for compassionate ministry, opening doors for conversation about faith and creating opportunities to share the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ.