Dog Comforts 7 Children After Crash
POSTED: 11:18 am MST November 10,
2008
UPDATED: 1:33 pm MST November 10,
2008
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Seven children involved in an early-morning car crash got some help Monday from the first crisis dog to be used by any fire department in the nation.The children were inside a pickup truck driven by their mother when it collided with another car at 63rd Avenue and Sunnyside, police said.The mother was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, police said.When emergency workers discovered seven children were involved, Topaz, a 1 1/2-year-old yellow Labrador was called into action.The dog just arrived in the Valley from Michigan and the accident was one of his first. The Glendale Fire Department got Topaz from Paws With A Cause and he's still in training."The scientific evidence shows they help lower blood pressure," said Lanette Jelinek, the dog's handler. "Just petting them. Animals have a very calming affect."Police said none of the children inside the pickup was injured. The children said they found the dog comforting."It's cute," said Amy Morales, 7, one of the passengers in the vehicle. "It played with us and it likes kids. It bit my toy and licked my face."Fire department officials said the children were extremely lucky. Auto accidents are the No. 1 killer of kids under 14.Police said they are investigating whether the children were properly restrained and how the accident happened.
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