MINNEAPOLIS — Among the flowers and signs lining the sidewalk at Annunciation Catholic Church, there were also six golden retrievers cuddled with children and adults as they grieved, just days after a mass shooting devastated the community.

Kristen Winn watched in tears as her daughter Emily, a student at the Annunciation school, sat on the curb with her arm wrapped around Gideon, a 10-year-old English cream retriever, on Friday, Aug. 29.

“I just really appreciate that they’re here,” Winn said of the dogs. “This really helps.”

Megan Lennon and her daughter, who live nearby, brought flowers to the site and sat with Gideon and another retriever, Mary, who traveled from Janesville, Wisconsin.

“It’s overwhelming, walking up here,” Lennon said in tears. “I had no idea how big it was going

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