Jacob the Golden Retriever is only four years old.
But in those years, he’s comforted numerous victims of tragedies — and specifically three mass shootings in the past two years.
READ MORE: These were the victims of the Florida school shooting
The comfort dog was at the Orlando Pulse nightclub mass shooting in June 2016, then at last year’s Las Vegas shooting. This month, he’s been on the scene to bring some joy to those affected by a high school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead.
WATCH: Unconscionable grief follows Florida shooting massacre
Jacob was in the Parkland community as the shooting’s victims were mourned at vigils. The canine is part of the Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) group, which also sent several other dogs to the community.
A Twitter page dedicated to the animals, LCC K9 Comfort Dogs, posted photos of them with Parkland residents.
Among those comforted by Jacob was a teacher who works at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The organization’s CEO, Tim Hetzner, told Yahoo News that animals offer a special sense of peace amid tragedies.
He explained that the organization’s dogs are specially trained, and don’t bark, bite or jump.
READ MORE: Florida student used his own body as shield to protect classmates
“When people pet a dog, they relax, and when they relax, they’re able to talk about what they went through,” he said. “A key part of the healing process is to be able to talk about what’s happened.”
The dogs’ effect on those trying to heal from tragedy is proven.
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Candles light up vigil for Florida high school shooting victims
In an interview with the Today show last October, one Las Vegas shooting survivor who works at a hospital, said the dogs provided her with a moment of relief.
“I came straight to the hospital from the venue at 10:30 at night, still wearing my concert clothes, because I knew there were things I could do to help the families,” Tracy Szymanski said. “It was a sigh of relief when the first dogs arrived Monday morning, because I knew the cavalry had arrived.”
“I felt I had help at a time when I felt helpless.”
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