Therapy Dogs Surprise National Guard Troops in Washington, D.C. Who May Be Missing Their Own Pets

In time for Valentine’s Day, we bring you a doggy love story, direct from Washington, DC, where thousands of National Guard soldiers will continue to be stationed away from their homes for at least another month.

More than 250 guards have stayed downtown at the Hamilton Hotel in the nation’s capital since troops from across the country were called in to protect the city after a siege of the Capitol building a month ago.

Knowing that the men and women had been away from their own families and pets for several weeks, the hotel surprised its guests with a visit from a dozen therapy dogs affiliated with the DC nonprofit People Animals Love.

The happy commotion in the lobby two weeks ago, shown in the video below, was designed as a gesture of thanks for the group’s 24-hour service to their country.

The 12 dogs were accompanied by their owners who stopped at various locations in the hotel located on 14th and K streets, and all the puppies were eager to extend a two-legged salute to members of our military.

“Seeing inveterate military men and women rolling around on the ground with these incredible dogs, as if no one was watching, really filled our souls with happiness and gratitude,” Hotel Hamilton Director Joe Palminteri told GNN. “It was only an hour, but the smiles and warm hugs will last a lifetime.”

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People Animals Love was founded in 1982 to demonstrate a network of 500 individually owned dogs and some cats to bring comfort to people in places like care centers, libraries, and schools. During the pandemic, the group started offering a virtual program where children can practice reading to a PAL dog.

CLOCK the video below …

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