CHICO — The Dixie Fire has now grown to approximately 446,723 acres and is the third-largest fire in state history.
However several times per week, as firefighters prepare to depart or return back to base camp for their 24 hour shifts battling the Dixie Fire, they are greeted by a group of golden retrievers and their handlers from Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry.
Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry began attending the Cal Fire base Camp at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico on July 25 and has continued to visit firefighters several times per week as requested.
Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort dogs Micah, Aaron, Reuben, Gomer and their handlers visited firefighters Friday. Micah is from Light of the Valley Lutheran Church in Elk Grove, Gomer and Aaron are from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Napa, and Reuben is from First Lutheran Church in Yuba City. The dogs are working dogs and are not pets, and funds to support the dogs are fundraised by each church.
“This is not about us trying to convince people trying to join the Lutheran Church,” said Lutheran Church Charities Director of Communications Debra Baran. “We are out here for people who want friendship, love and comfort.”
Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is a nonprofit ministry which began in 2008 and has over 130 comfort dogs in 27 states. The organization uses only pure-bread golden retrievers, stating the breed mid-large sized dogs which are very docile and approachable. The dogs receive at least 2,000 hours of training and are then assigned to a handler where the dog lives. While each dog must have a primary and secondary handler, the dogs are trained to obey the commands of up to 10 handlers.
The comfort dogs visit firefighters battling wildfires across the United States, however the dogs also visit schools, assisted living facilities, hospitals, police stations, fire departments, military events or wherever they are invited. The organization is run by primarily volunteers and is free of charge to any organization it visits.
Cal Fire firefighter Melissa Bell recognized one of the two comfort dogs who came to visit her fire engine and crew as they prepared for their day battling the Dixie Fire Friday. Bell said she grew up with golden retrievers and said having the dogs available to pet is extremely refreshing after returning home from the fire line, saying that the dogs give love like no other.
“When you have them here, you’re able to pet them and show the love. It’s just a really special connection,” Bell said. “And when people are out on the fire line for a long period of time, it’s long and draining days so it helps boost the morale when we come back and we’re able to pet dogs. It just brings a whole other energy.”
For Nathan Frankhauser, a Merced firefighter assisting Cal Fire on the Dixie Fire, often Facetimes his six and eight-year-old children after returning from the fire line when the dogs are visiting and called the dogs an “unexpected treat.”
Frankhauser said the dogs have become celebrities in his house, stating his kids can’t wait to see the golden retrievers when he called. Frankhauser brought home stuffed animals of two of the dogs, called “stuffies,” as well as business cards for each dog with a photo.
“You have the dogs out here, you see them from a distance and as they approach you, you can’t help but approach the dogs and start petting the dogs,” Frankhauser said. “When they lick your hand and you feel that connection with the dog it just puts a smile on your face and it helps you think about the good things in life.”
Handler Marilyn Bunyer said that the dogs are considered comfort dogs as opposed to service dogs because the job of a service dog is to be there for the one handling the dog, whereas a comfort dog and its handler are there to help other people.
Bunyer noted several differences between the comfort dogs and the everyday dog one may have at home as a pet. She said that the dogs do not give “dog kisses”, they do not “shake” or “high five.” The dogs do not give kisses, high fives or shake so that when they visit elderly visitors the possibility of injury or cuts on thin skin is eliminated.
When the dogs go to the bathroom it is also a command — called a “hurry up.”
“Everything is a command,” Bunyer said.
Bunyer used to show dogs in competitions and she and her husband were looking into which type of ministry they would enter upon retirement and loves how she is able to help in her retired life.
“This is very close to my heart since I used to show dogs, so I have handled dogs before, so this was one of those things that is like a calling,” Bunyer said. “For some people, it’s a calling and I feel like it is because I see what these dogs do for people and they’re just wonderful.”
Bunyer remembered a story where a woman was on a four-wheeler with two others and insisted the driver stop as Bunyer and her dog walked by. Bunyer said the firefighter jumped off the four-wheeler and said, “I need a golden hug,” before giving the dog a giant hug.
“It’s those kinds of things. When firefighters come running over from two rows over because they simply need a hug.”
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