People often go to church in search of comfort. From the sermon to the music, there are many ways this comfort can be found. But now that Tewkesbury Abbey, a church in the UK, has “hired” two dogs, visitors might be surprised by their newest method. When visitors first walk inside this beautiful church, they’re likely to be greeted by Eric and Florence. These black Labradors aren’t just any canines — they’re trained therapy dogs. As a result, visitors can rely on them for emotional support and comfort before, during, and after services.
Videos by InspireMore
How did these two find themselves in such unique roles? Turns out, they belong to Head Verger Chris Skepper. I can only imagine that, in seeing the way his dogs bring him comfort, he recognized what a joy they’d be to the people who visit the church — and he was right! People of all ages are absolutely loving both Eric and Florence.
@bbc This is a good life for a dog 🐾 These two are the new assistant vergers at Tewkesbury Abbey 🥲 #DogTok #Dogs #TewkesburyAbbey ♬ original sound – BBC
“We’ve had a case where a lady has come to a service and she couldn’t sit in it because she’d just lost someone recently but she came and found these [the dogs] and just sort of sat and stroked them,” Chris shares in the video above. “That’s what she needed at that time — just that oasis and that calm that that presented in the building.”
Meet Eric and Florence, Beloved Dogs and Employees at Tewkesbury Abbey
Although this method of providing church goers with support is unconventional, the positive impact couldn’t be clearer. In fact, even folks who live on the other side of the world are loving that this is an option!
“More places need resident dogs. Makes the world such a nicer and much happier world,” one person shares in the comments, with another adding, “Would I be glad to see them? I’d fly across the Atlantic just for a chance to meet them.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
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