Texas school shooting: South Jersey therapy dogs back home after comforting community

GLOUCESTER TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- A therapy dog team from South Jersey is back home after providing comfort to the grieving community in Uvalde, Texas.

"We are blessed with special dogs," said John Hunt, the chief operations coordinator for the nonprofit Crisis Response Canines.

Exon, Tarik and Axel arrived back in Gloucester Township Tuesday. Officials say the animals spent time with the community still reeling from a school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

"They're all over them. They're hugging them. They're petting them. They're kissing them," said Becky Langer, the volunteer network liaison for Crisis Response Canines.

Nancy Mittleman, a team member with the nonprofit, and her dog Tarik provided support to grieving families, including a grandfather she can't forget.

"The first question he asked me is, 'Can your dog help me heal?' And at the end of the conversation that we had with him, giving the dog hugs and kisses and petting the dog, he said, 'I think I answered my own question. Your dog definitely helped me heal,'" said Mittleman.

Volunteers said the dogs carried a lot of pain from the community.

"You can see it as they're visiting people. You can see they sort of look a little heavy almost, so we make sure we give our dogs lots of breaks," said Langer.

While there were lows -- there were also many highs.

"The thing that I walked away with the most was almost a sense of hope because in the depths of their grief that community came together and the support that surrounded these families was amazing," said Mittleman.

The dogs will now continue their duties by helping people locally by providing strength and comfort in the aftermath of critical incidents.