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Hero cop breaks silence on Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing

<p>Amy Scott, the hero police officer who shot Joel Cauchi during his stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction in April, has spoken about her brave act. </p> <p>On Sunday, the Sydney Roosters publicly recognised all emergency services during the NRL match against Canberra, in what will become an annual event. </p> <p>There were  tributes for NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue, VRA Rescue NSW, SES, Rural Fire Service, Marine Rescue, Surf Life Saving Australia and St John Ambulance.</p> <p>Scott was the star of the event arriving in a PolAir helicopter to present the game ball to Roosters captain, James Tedesco.</p> <p>She was given a standing ovation from the NRL crowd, as she spoke about her brave act. </p> <p>“I was just doing my job that day, absolutely” she said. </p> <p>“It was a job I hoped the community would expect from us. I know any of my colleagues would have done exactly the same. I’m grateful that we were able to get there and do what we did as quickly as we did.</p> <p>“Look, I’m a very big believer in taking the support that is ­offered to you. I had done that significantly prior to anything that happened at Bondi.</p> <p>“The people you go home to, your family and friends, are key. For me, it’s my wife Emma because they deal with trauma you deal with in a different light and she has been incredible. We got married in February and we have two young boys. I’m excellent, I’m doing really well," Scott continued. </p> <p>“I’m enjoying being back at work. I actually just had some annual leave, which was nice. I love my job, I love where I work and I love my team. I’m grateful to be there with them doing day-to-day stuff again. It is (a thankless task) at times, absolutely.</p> <p>“It’s a wonderful day to recognise so many different emergence services and I’m incredibly grateful to the Roosters and NRL for making this happen because there are so many unsung heroes out there, not just with the NSW Police Force, but with all other emergence services, so it’s so nice to have a wonderful, positive, light shed on us all.</p> <p>“It was unreal, a fantastic experience. It’s a privilege.”</p> <p>When asked who she supported in the NRL, the hero police said: “Today I’m a Roosters fan," but she will always remain a Knights fan as she is a "one-town, one-team kind of girl." </p> <p>NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also attended the match and praised her for her actions. </p> <p>“What courage Amy Scott has shown this year. She really epitomises policing in NSW. She is very humble,”  Catley said. </p> <p>“This is an opportunity for us to say to her: ‘Thank you so much for her courage’. Without her actions, we could have ended up with a different situation that day in Bondi.</p> <p>“She (Scott) is an amazing officer every day of the week,” Webb said. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Peter Dutton defends comparing pro-Palestine rally to Port Arthur massacre

<p>Peter Dutton has doubled down on controversial comments he made comparing a pro-Palestine rally to the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. </p> <p>The leader of the opposition sparked fierce criticism fort he remarks he made when discussing the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia as the Israel-Palestine war rages on. </p> <p>He compared a pro-Palestine protest that took place outside Sydney Opera House on October 9th, just days after the first attacks by Hamas, to the deadly massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people were killed which prompted major gun reforms in Australia under the Howard government.</p> <p>Dutton later repeated the comments, insisting Mr Howard’s response had been “strong” and claimed Mr Albanese has not done enough to stem the rise in anti-Semitism.</p> <p>The Opposition Leader appeared on <em>Today</em> on Friday morning where he again defended his comments when asked if he had gone too far with the comparison. </p> <p>“The point I was making, which is absolutely a legitimate one, is that I thought this was a time for the Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese) to show leadership and to step up,” Mr Dutton said.</p> <p>“I think, with John Howard, who stood up at a point of national importance for our country, demonstrated leadership and changed the course of history for the better. The Prime Minister has allowed this rise of anti-Semitism in our country.”</p> <p>“I don’t resile from that at all.”</p> <p>Mr Dutton’s fury was sparked by comments made by the Foreign Minister Penny Wong in her own speech earlier this week, which left the door open for Australia to back Palestinian statehood in the UN. </p> <p>“Penny Wong never went to cabinet with this proposal. It’s not agreed to by the Palestinian leaders here in Australia,” he said. </p> <p>Government Services Minister Bill Shorten then chimed in on the debate, arguing there was nothing new in Senator Wong’s comments as the war in Palestine continued to claim thousands of innocent lives. </p> <p>“Labor has had as its policy for a very long time, the whole time I’ve been a member of the Labor Party, support for a two state solution,” he told Nine. </p> <p>But he said it was a grave mistake to conflate Port Arthur with the “unacceptable” rise in anti-Semitism.</p> <p>“I think probably if he had his time again in the privacy of his own head, he would probably not do (that),” Mr Shorten said. </p> <p>“They’re two separate issues. Port Arthur was a shocking, murderous, evil act in Australia. And John Howard certainly spoke up about it."</p> <p>“I think Peter, you know, has got to make his point. That’s his job. But I think he should work with the Prime Minister to call out inflammatory language here.”</p> <p>Mr Dutton went on to clarify he was just trying to make a parallel between the two leaders’ responses. </p> <p>“John Howard stood up for our country at a time when he needed moral clarity. He did that he changed the course of history with gun laws,” he said. </p> <p>“That’s the parallel that I’m making to the absolute absence of leadership from the Prime Minister at the moment, which has given rise to those in the Jewish community talking about feeling unsafe in our country.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <div class="media image" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 24px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.202209px; max-width: 100%;"> </div>

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Thailand in mourning as victims of daycare massacre farewelled

<p><em><strong>Warning: Some readers may find the content of this article distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Hundreds of mourners have gathered in temples in north-east Thailand to farewell more than 30 victims who were killed in a heartless massacre in a children's daycare.</p> <p>On Thursday, a man armed with a gun and a knife stormed a daycare centre, killing 12 adults and 24 children between the ages of two and five. </p> <p>Relatives and grief-stricken members of the community gathered at the Si Uthai temple in the village of Uthai Sawan on Saturday to pay their respects to the victims. </p> <p>They lit candles in front of coffins topped with floral wreaths and framed photographs of the dead, as loved ones placed toys, clothes and their children favourite foods atop their caskets. </p> <p>One of the coffins belonged to toddler Pattarawat Jamnongnid, whose photo showed him dressed in a pink sports shirt</p> <p>On his coffin was a model dinosaur and a bottle of milk.</p> <p>His mother, 40-year-old factory worker Daoreung Jamnongnid, said her only child was energetic and talkative.</p> <p>At just two years and 10 months, he was the youngest of the children killed but his mother said he already knew the alphabet.</p> <p>"He was so smart. He liked to watch documentaries with his father," she said. </p> <p>Police have identified the attacker as Panya Khamrap, 34, a former police sergeant who was facing trial on a drugs charge.</p> <p>His autopsy showed no evidence of drug use at the time of his death, according to police. </p> <p>Deputy police chief Surachet Hakpan said officers were still interviewing 180 people about the incident, and when asked about the killer's motive, he said it was "because of his constant stress … his family, his money and his legal cases. So he acted aggressively".</p> <p>Three boys and two girls survived the attack and four of them remain in hospital, police said.</p> <p>Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn visited the hospital on Friday to express his sorrow over the "evil incident".</p> <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> <p>"There are no other words to describe this feeling," he said.</p> </div> <p>"I want to give you all moral support to be strong so that the souls of those children can have a sense of relief that their families will remain strong and be able to move forward."</p> <p>Meanwhile Kittisak Polprakan, a witness to the attack, described the killing spree.</p> <p>"It was so quiet," he said.</p> <p>"There was no noise, no screaming, nothing."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Schoolgirl reveals how she survived Texas massacre

<p dir="ltr">An 11-year-old girl has recalled the moment she survived the horrific Texas school shooting which saw her classmates and teacher shot dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas spoke to lawmakers in a pre-recorded interview at the House of Representatives committee on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">She explained how she smeared her dead classmate’s blood on her and played dead to avoid being shot by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos on May 24. </p> <p dir="ltr">"He... told my teacher 'good night' and then shot her in the head. And then he shot some of my classmates and the whiteboard," Miah said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Miah then grabbed her dead teacher’s mobile phone and dialled 911 - which has since seen police’s response <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/texas-police-admit-wrongdoing-following-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily criticised</a> for not doing anything while they were being attacked. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NOOIN48HnxE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">The fourth grader fears that another mass shooting would occur at her school and called for “more security”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Gunman Salvador was armed with a gun when he stormed Robb Elementary School on May 24 and shot dead 19 children and two teachers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw admitted that the tactical decisions made during the response to the events leading up to the shooting were wrong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision. There’s no excuse for that,” he said. “A decision was made that this was a barricaded subject situation, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team with the equipment to go ahead and breach the door and take on the subject at that point.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That was the decision, that was the thought process at that particular point in time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to audio evidence from the time of the shooting, Ramos fired almost 100 shots inside classrooms 111 and 112 about 11.30am.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two minutes later, three officers entered the school from the same back door Ramos came in from.</p> <p dir="ltr">About 12.03pm, there were at least 19 officers standing in the hallways but it was only at 12.50 pm that police used a key from the janitor to open the classroom doors.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then they shot Ramos dead.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: YouTube </em></p>

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“Awful”: Steve Price slams upcoming Port Arthur movie

<p>The film about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre has proven to be a massive controversy, with many saying it should not be made.</p> <p>On Wednesday night’s episode of The Project, Lisa Wilkinson asked Steve Price his opinion on the upcoming film.</p> <p>“A controversial new film about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre has been widely condemned. It is due for release next year. Survivors have branded it ‘tasteless and inappropriate,’” Lisa stated.</p> <p>“The film focuses on the gunman who killed 32 people and injured 23 others in what became one of Australia’s worst mass shootings.”</p> <p>“Steve Price was at the scene after that horrific event unfolded in 1996.</p> <p>“There are films made about 9/11, World War II and here in Australia about Snowtown. What is different about this one?” Lisa asks.</p> <p>“Well, Lisa, I think it is probably too soon and too close to home. I mean, the 35 people who were killed there, their relatives today I would think would be having flashbacks,” Price said.</p> <p>“The 21 people injured by that gunman would be feeling uncomfortable. I saw an interview back with Walter who did it from the ABC, where he was talking about how he lost his wife and his two children and he described how the gunman had left the cafe and was driving back down the road. He saw his wife. He jumped out of the car. He killed her. He then shot one of the daughters. The other was hiding behind a tree. He turned around the side of that tree and gunned her down as well. I stood in front of that tree the day after that happened and I can tell you, and I wasn’t there on the day but I was there the next day, it still haunts me. It was an awful feeling and awful place and it would be an awful movie.”</p> <p>“Is it fair to protest a film – we don’t know what is in the film. Is it fair to protest a film which has not been made yet?” asked co-host Joel Creasey.</p> <p>“We all know how it ends and the end is grim and awful. I don’t know what sort of job this filmmaker will make of this movie. I won’t see it. I am sure anyone there on the day will avoid it at all costs. I agree it should not be made,” he said.</p> <p>“I don’t see the point in making something which was an awful stain on our history.”</p> <p>Waleed Aly asked him whether the film could be seen as a crucial way to learn lessons from the tragedy, as there was no trial.</p> <p>“It sounds like an important story to tell. Isn’t this a way to do that?” Waleed asked.</p> <p>But Price didn’t think so.</p> <p>“The big lesson we learn is there’s no place in Australian homes for automatic and semiautomatic weapons. We learnt that John Howard took guns off people after that. A lot of people turned weapons in and we’ve not had as may a mass shooting as that ever since. That is the lesson we learnt. What did we learn about the gunman? What we have learnt today is we’re not using his name. That is a good lesson. I don’t though how a movie can be made without using the person it is about and saying their name.”</p> <p>The movie based around the events leading up to the horrible tragedy will make its cinematic debut in 2021.</p>

Movies

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“I’ve got nothing to hide”: Man accused of koala massacre speaks out

<p>The man accused of Victoria’s “koala massacre” has said he is not guilty of animal cruelty and will return to face the state’s “fascist” wildlife authorities.</p> <p>Investigators from Victoria’s Conservation Regulator were still carrying out their assessment on Thursday at a cleared gum tree plantation near Cape Bridgewater after scores of koalas were found injured or dead.</p> <p>More than 80 koalas have been assessed since Friday, and 30 were euthanised.</p> <p>The Victorian environment minister Lily D’Ambrosio said on Monday the event was “devastating” for the koala population in the Portland region and the government would do “everything possible” to hold the perpetrators accountable.</p> <p>“Every Victorian can rightly feel not only appalled, deeply saddened and heartbroken, but angry. I am absolutely angry,” D’Ambrosio said.</p> <p>“This can never be repeated.”</p> <p>The private property is run by Keith Troeth, who is working in NSW.</p> <p>“I’m not concerned because I’ve done nothing wrong,” Troeth told <em><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/koala-massacre-farmer-tells-of-death-threats/ar-BBZIjCB?li=AAgfYrC">The Age</a></em> on Thursday.</p> <p>“I’ll come back, I’ve got nothing to hide.</p> <p>“The fascists have yet to complete their investigations so until that happens, I won’t be making any more comment.”</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/koalas-starved-says-farmer-accused-of-portland-massacre-20200203-p53x7r.html" target="_blank">Earlier this week</a>, Troeth said a small number of animals might have died while the land was cleared with bulldozers in late January.</p> <p>“We made every effort to do it professionally, we made every effort to minimise any fatality,” he said.</p> <p>“There may have been one or two koalas killed and I’ll wear the responsibility, but it’s not the big hoo-ha it’s been made out to be.”</p> <p>D’Ambrosio said the government would consider breaches of the Wildlife Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.</p> <p>Killing, harassing or disturbing wildlife could attract a penalty of up to $8,000 and an additional fine of more than $800 per head of wildlife under the Wildlife Act.</p> <p>A spokeswoman from the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning said the Conversation Regulator’s Major Investigations Unit remains on site to collect evidence and take witness statements.</p>

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Hundreds of koalas brutally murdered during routine logging

<p>WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES</p> <p>A few hundred of perhaps Australia’s most beloved animal, koalas, have reportedly been murdered in Victoria this week.</p> <p>Animals Australia has shared devastating images of injured and dead koalas who were “mowed down” after logging occurred 12km west of Portland.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">On becoming aware of this situation on Friday, we flew in a veterinary team from <a href="https://twitter.com/Vets_Compassion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vets_Compassion</a>. A second vet team was flown in to assist with the treatment of surviving animals yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/sSlF43IbLV">pic.twitter.com/sSlF43IbLV</a></p> — Animals Australia (@AnimalsAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimalsAus/status/1223738890277646336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The species – who are now a threatened species after one of Australia’s worst bushfire season in recorded history – were hurt at a razed bluegum plantation.</p> <p>“Koalas are having their homes mowed down,” said Animals Australia.</p> <p>“On becoming aware of this situation on Friday, we flew in a veterinary team,” Animals Australia confirmed on Sunday morning.</p> <p>“With the support of local authorities and wildlife carers, vets are seeking to save as many of these precious animals as possible.”</p> <p>The details of this case are still unknown, Animals Australia confirmed on Sunday.</p> <p>“We are still gathering the details as to what has occurred in this case but it would appear that there are various breaches of legislation, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which we will be supporting authorities to pursue,” they said on social media.</p> <p>“By law, the companies that own these plantations must provide koala ‘spotters’ to identify koalas in trees before logging commences, so that animals can be safely removed and relocated.</p> <p>“There is also a legal responsibility to ensure the welfare of koalas after logging has ceased.”</p> <p>It is assumed that in result of the habitat destruction from bushfires, hundreds of koalas sought refuge on commercial property.</p> <p>“The logging of these forests then destroys precious habitat,” shared Animals Australia.</p> <p>Wildlife Victoria CEO Dr Megan Davidson said it was impossible to understand how the logging could happen if koalas were in them.</p> <p>“In these tragic cases, we are so sad not only for the animals, but also for the wildlife carers and vets who are on the ground dealing with the horrors of dead, broken, sick and orphaned animals,” Davidson said.</p> <p>“Here’s a thought,” shared Animals Australia. “How about instead of planting plantations then mowing them down, we should be planting blue gum and leaving them for koalas to live in.”</p> <p>The gruesome images have resulted in calls for change at a national level, with a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.change.org/p/daniel-andrews-koala-massacres-portland-victoria?recruiter=743946376&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;recruited_by_id=05242690-62d9-11e7-88b5-65895f00d004" target="_blank">Change.org petition</a> already up and running.</p> <p>“This barbaric practice needs to stop across the state and immediately,” the petition – directed to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews – reads.</p> <p>As reported by the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) there are less than 100,000 koalas left in the wild and the population could be in fact as low as 43,000.</p> <p>If Australia’s koala population falls below 50,000 it would be “functionally extinct”, the AKF said.</p>

Family & Pets

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Aaron Cockman reveals motive behind Margaret River massacre in heartbreaking interview

<p>The man who lost all four of his children after their grandfather shot them in their sleep before turning the gun on himself broke down in tears last night as he remembered his “beautiful kids”.</p> <p>In an emotional interview on Channel 7’s Sunday Night, Aaron Cockman explained the circumstances he believes led his former father-in-law, Peter Miles, to commit Australia’s worst mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre.</p> <p>Miles murder Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Ayre, 10 and Kayden, 8, their mother Katrina Miles, and grandmother Cynda Miles at home in Osmington, a rural region near Margaret River in Western Australia.</p> <p><img width="444" height="333" src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/dd2acd5c6de2e0e605736776faacf470" alt="A picture of the family Funeral Service for Peter and Cynda Miles, Katrina, Taye, Rylan, Arye and Kadyn. Picture: Colin Murty/The Australian" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Mr Cockman described the heartbreaking moment he found out his children were dead.</p> <p>“I’m working on a job site, and I just looked at my phone then I hear this message from the police saying, ‘Can we talk to you?’” he said.</p> <p>His colleagues, who had learned of the news on the radio, asked if he had heard that four kids and three adults had died.</p> <p>“My heart just dropped,” he said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I think that’s my kids’. I said, ‘I’ve got the police coming here now.’”</p> <p>“I still can’t believe that this is even happening,” Mr Cockman said.</p> <p>Mr Cockman said the pressure of a custody dispute over the children caused strain on both families.  </p> <p>“The children started to be groomed to hate us and to hate Aaron,” said Mr Cockman’s mother Kim. “And that … that was wicked.”</p> <p>Mr Cockman thinks his former father-in-law killed his family to “solve the problem” surrounding the shared care of the children and because he did not want the kids to be saddened by his own death.</p> <p>“It solves the problem. It solves his problem. How do I get rid of myself without everyone, all the kids suffering,” Mr Cockman said.</p> <p>“If you actually thought in your head that you just cannot possibly live anymore. I just want to kill myself, I want to kill myself, but I can't, but I can't, because I don't want the kids to suffer.”</p> <p>Peter Miles was being treated for depression after one of his sons had killed himself and another was taken seriously ill with kidney failure.  </p> <p>Neighbour Felicity Haynes said: “It was known that he was seeking psychological help and psychologists had prescribed antidepressants.”</p> <p>She said Cynda Miles was showing the strain when she returned for visiting her son Neil in hospital and said there were “other things happening at home”.</p> <p>“I do think she was referring to the fact that Peter was being fairly irrational,” Ms Haynes said.</p> <p>Mr Cockman’s mother believes Mr Miles killed the kids so they couldn’t be with Aaron.</p> <p>“He wanted those children to be with him and Cynda,” she said. “He would have to kill them all so that they weren't left on their own with Aaron. That's how much he hated Aaron.”</p> <p>Mr Miles left a bizarre suicide note on the kitchen table that read: “Ex-husband, Aaron Cockman to have house content.”</p> <p><img width="425" height="319" src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/051b9665f38bffde9e0e12a3915a070f" alt="The bizarre suicide note left by Peter Miles. Picture: Supplied" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Mr Cockman said he believes his children would still be alive if family court orders had been enforced, as he is convinced it was the long, drawn out court battle that led to Mr Miles’ demise.</p> <p>“Myself and the kids and Kat, and even Peter and Cynda suffered so much through the court system.</p> <p>“And for Peter to actually take on a farm with all my kids on it and be the father figure, it's a lot of pressure on someone that is not mentally capable and shouldn't be in that situation.”</p> <p>“I’m going to put all my effort into that,” Mr Cockman said. “I’ve got nothing else now.”</p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline – 13 11 14</strong></em></p>

Mind

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Comfort dogs sent to assist victims of Orlando massacre

<p>A group of eleven golden retrievers are on their way to Orlando to help comfort victims of the horrific shooting on the weekend, which killed 50 (including gunman Omar Mateen) and injured 53.</p> <p>The therapy dogs are part of the Lutheran Church Charities’ K-9 Comfort Dogs program and have come together from 7 states in the US to offer their services to the survivors.</p> <p>President of the Lutheran Church Charities Tim Hetzner believes the pooches will be a huge help in the aftermath of such a trauma. “They’re like a furry counsel,” he tells the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/lutheran-church-charities-comfort-dogs-orlando-tragedy_us_57602521e4b053d433065896?section=australia" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Huffington Post</span></strong></a>. “They’re not judgmental and they’re good listeners, which is good because talking is an important part of healing process. It allows people to process what happened.”</p> <p>After starting the program in 2008, the dogs have been an essential source of comfort in tragedies such as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013. There are now more than 100 dogs in the organisation. “We go where we’re invited and we don’t charge the people we serve,” Hetzner adds.</p> <p>It’s no mean feat to become a comfort dog, however. Each pup has to undergo between 12 and 14 months of professional training from the age of just 8 weeks old. “Our dogs have to be able to relate with all age groups and stay calm in all circumstances,” Hetzner explains. He believes golden retrievers are the perfect breed for the job as they’re naturally loving and gentle. “Also, because of their fur, they leave a little of themselves with everyone they meet.”</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, how has your four-legged friend comforted you in a time of need?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/orlando-shooting-survivor-writes-powerful-open-letter-to-omar-mateen/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Orlando shooting survivor pens powerful open letter to gunman</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/world-comes-together-after-the-orlando-shooting-horror/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The world comes together after the Orlando shooting horror</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/body/2016/04/dog-dental-assistant-helps-calm-patients/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dog dental assistant helps calm patients</strong></em></span></a></p>

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Orlando shooting survivor pens powerful open letter to gunman

<p>As the world continues to grapple with the Orlando shooting, the worst mass shooting in modern US history, a survivor has written a powerful open letter to the shooter.</p> <p>Alejandro Francisco, 21, was at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, when Omar Mateen opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 others.</p> <p>"Saturday night was Latin night, and it was a party vibe because of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. It was a hot night, and the club was filled with life and love and dancing and — until you arrived — pure joy," wrote Francisco on XOJane.</p> <p>"I’ve been going to the club for a few years now, and it’s a wonderful place to let loose and really be yourself in Orlando.”</p> <p>Francisco and his friends narrowly escaped the attack, leaving the club moments before the gunshots started. He mourned and grieved all the lives lost in the attack, labelling Mateen's actions as "the worst attack – on love – on U.S. soil."</p> <p>“These men and women were strangers to you. All of them had one precious gift, one saving grace that you could never, ever have. That much is clear. I know you had a child and a wife and a father and a mother, but you did not have what they had. You never could have. What happened never could have happened if you did," he wrote.</p> <p>The letter continues: “But Omar, you failed. You tried to massacre the very one thing that you can never destroy in our community. Ever. You cannot take away our love. It is more powerful than anything else that exists in the world.</p> <p>"Omar, we are stronger than your hate. We always will be."</p> <p>Francisco then names all the victims of the shooting. Although they did not survive, Francisco says, “Love did. In fact, it just grew stronger.” </p> <p><em>Read Francisco's full letter <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.xojane.com/issues/alejandro-francisco-orlando-pulse-survivor-story" target="_blank">here</a>.</strong></span></em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/world-comes-together-after-the-orlando-shooting-horror/">The world comes together after the Orlando shooting horror</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/queen-elizabeth-and-her-corgis-help-ptsd-sufferer/">Queen Elizabeth and her corgis help PTSD sufferer</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/queens-10-favourite-songs-right-now/">The Queen’s 10 favourite songs right now</a></strong></em></span></p>

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Memorial service marks 20 years since Port Arthur massacre

<p>Twenty years ago today, 28-year-old Martin Bryant opened fire on the Broad Arrow Café in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 innocent people and injuring 23 others. The country was changed forever, with the massacre prompting the introduction of strict gun control laws by the Howard Government just months after the tragedy.</p> <p>Today, a memorial service will be held to honour the victims of this senseless crime, and for some survivors will mark the first time they’ve visited the site since the attack. Also in attendance will be friends and families of the victims as well as Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman, Governor Kate Warner and former Prime Minister John Howard. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten are also expected to attend.</p> <p>Due to begin at 12.30pm, the service will include a keynote speech, wreath laying and performances by opera singer Amelia Farrugia (who narrowly escaped the gunman by minutes) and Hobart’s Collegiate Singers.</p> <p>"Today is also a time when we again look to find sense in the senseless." Hodgman told AAP. "What happened that day will never define us, but the way we responded does. Just as we stood together then, we stand together today.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/ali-elamine-posts-photo-with-children-in-beirut/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ali Elamine shares happy photo of children in Beirut</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/stan-beazleys-memories-of-war/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">My memories of war will always remain</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/malcom-turnull-double-dissolution-trigger/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Malcolm Turnbull handed double dissolution election trigger</span></em></strong></a></p>

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