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Meet the local therapy dog heading to Georgia to comfort school shooting victims

<i>WESH via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Her name is Macy and she spends her time comforting others.
WESH via CNN Newsource
Her name is Macy and she spends her time comforting others.

By Dacia Johnson, Bob Hazen

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Her name is Macy and she spends her time comforting others.

The therapy dog and her handler, Bear Berman, are heading to Georgia to help those who survived the deadly school shooting earlier this week.

“Our mission is strength through comfort,” Berman said.

Berman said Macy’s talent is to open up lines of communication so he can work with people who may not realize just how impacted they are by horrific events.

“The interaction with the dog will lower their blood pressure, lower their heart rate, lower their cortisol and raise their oxytocin and help bring out that emotion,” Berman said, “and they can realize that we’re here for them, we can help them find resources.”

Macy has helped people deal with tragedy after some of the most heartbreaking mass shootings that we have seen in recent years. She is 8 years old.

Berman and Macy are part of a group called Crisis Response Canines.

The duo lives in Orange County.

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Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

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