Bonnie Fear of Fort Collins knows the power of a good dog hug.

She's the director of crisis deployment for Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and she and her K-9 coworkers, Cubby and Devorah, have been called to several tragedies nationwide to provide comfort and a tiny window of joy.

Volunteers help Cubby, a golden retriever, visit with victims and provide them some relief from the tragic events that have just occurred. Around the dogs are other displays of support: flowers, notes, and photographs of the victims.

According to Fox31 News, Cubby isn't the only dog ready to help out when tragedy strikes.

LCC has a team of about 130 comfort dogs across the United States. Four more will deploy to Boulder from Nebraska on Wednesday to join Cubby and Devorah as they help those in Boulder.

Fear told 9News that dogs have a special way of allowing people to be vulnerable, and to "just open up emotions for people so they can start the healing process."

No one could have expected that a typical day at a local Colorado grocery store could have turned into such a display of loss and remembrance, but for now, we're grateful for the support that dogs inherently provide and those who understand their impact on the grieving.

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