These stuffed moose are providing comfort to kids in trying times

Area first responders now have allies on their side when responding to emergency service calls involving children, courtesy of Pahrump Moose Lodge 808.

This month, members of the lodge distributed “Tommy Moose” dolls to the sheriff’s office for the purpose of providing comfort to children when deputies are dispatched to incidents where children are affected.

Since 2002, more than 100,000 of the playful, cuddly moose dolls have been donated to shelters, hospitals, and emergency workers, who in turn deliver them to children facing stressful situations in an effort to instill comfort during times of uncertainty, or anxiety.

Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said the dolls, which are the official mascot of the Moose Lodge, have a calming and soothing effect on children involved in traumatic situations.

Pahrump Valley Fire & Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewissaid the stuffed animals are an important component of the department’s resources.

“It’s very important that we be equipped with not only the tools to execute fire suppression or perform an extrication to rescue people, but we can hand out these small tokens of comfort that can mean so much to the kids,” he said. “There is an emotional aspect to all of this and a sense of comfort that needs to be portrayed by the fire department when on these serious incidents. That is just another aspect that we are responsible to address. We are fortunate enough to have the assistance from the Pahrump Moose Lodge and we can’t thank them enough.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes.