Following April’s Boston Marathon bombings, a pack of five golden retrievers arrived in Boston to offer comfort to the community. The pups, part of the nonprofit K-9 Comfort Dogs, were all specially trained in providing emotional support. They were stationed at a church a few blocks from the marathon finish line, and also sent to area hospitals to visit victims. These comforting canines had also spent time in Newtown, Connecticut, offering support to the community following the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “They bring a calming effect to people,” Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, told TODAY, “and help them process the various emotions that they go through in times like this.”
The 11 Most Influential Animals of 2013
They pawed around the West Wing and comforted people after tragedy. Sometimes, like pandas, they made their biggest impact by not being there at all. Here’s an unranked look at four-legged and finned creatures that shaped our year.