BUFFALO, N.Y. - A group of certified crisis counselors and specially-trained dogs traveled to Buffalo, New York, this week to offer support and comfort to those impacted by the mass shooting at a supermarket, in which 10 people were killed and three others were injured.
The Tri-State Canine Response Team, based almost 400 miles away in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, arrived in Buffalo on Monday with five crisis response handlers and dogs to stay through Friday, "with the possibility of staying longer as needed." Four of the teams traveled from New Jersey, while one team came north from Florida.
The nonprofit, all-volunteer team aims to offer comfort to those suffering from a personal condition or crisis in the community by "utilizing the human-canine bond and its power to heal." Its work is supported by community donations.
In Buffalo, grief, shock, and anger have plagued the community after a White, 18-year-old gunman entered a Tops Friendly Market on Saturday and started shooting with a rifle, killing 10 Black people and wounding three other victims.