Dover Air Force Base hosts meet-and-greet with therapy dog, Blaze

DOVER, Md. – Blaze is furry friend at the Dover Air Force base, who helps bring solace to many families of active-duty military members and companionship to staff.

After being rescued from a neglect case by Paws of War, Blaze was brought to Chaplin Captain William Kilgore, back in 2023.

“He was drawn to me, so we have actually been connected by the hip since I got him,” Captain Kilgore said.

Blaze was added to the Air Force team as a therapy dog. Captain Kilgore said since he was brought on, the pup has been an asset to the mortuary branch, consoling families of fallen soldiers and staff who deal with losses head on.

“You have some people that you can get with on commonalities, like sports, movies, things of that nature. But when you have a dog with you, it opens another gate to communicate or interact with individuals,” Captain Kilgore said.

Witnessing the direct toll that working in the mortuary can have on staff, port mortuary branch chief, Danielle Wilk, said Blaze’s presence alone has a tremendous impact on the entire branch.

“We are here to do our jobs, and whether it’s the job that we are doing, or just a job in general, having Blaze really is uplifting,” Wilk said.

And while Captain Kilgore is a resource for family and staff on site, Wilk said there’s a certain draw that people have to Blaze, when they’re facing some of their worst hardships.

“To be able to give these young airmen the opportunity to sit down and pet Blaze, without any words, you can see that calmness. Maybe you just have an understanding by looking at Blaze and him looking back at you,” Wilk said.