Orange County girl's bear-y kind gesture will comfort children on way to hospital

ORLANDO, Fla. – Law enforcement officers and other first responders across Central Florida are going beyond the call of duty each week and our team at News 6 loves to share the ways they're getting results in their communities.

Whether it is to crime victims and their families, to animals in need or to each other, our first responders are always lending a helping hand.

This week, they had some help from awesome children and a few adorable animals.

[RELATED: Think Central Florida first responders only handle crime? You thought wrong | How first responders connect with Central Florida community]

You probably wouldn't think fighting crime could be cute -- that is, until you met K-9s Buddy and Zara, the newest additions to the Port Orange Police Department. Officers shared their adorable pictures to the department's Facebook page, officially welcoming the golden retrievers to the narcotics detection team. If we had to rate them, they'd get two paws up from us.

Two Maryland boys' trip to Disney got even more magical when they got to meet two Orange County deputies. The four posed for a picture outside Epcot, which the Orange County Sheriff's Office later posted on Twitter, saying it's always fun to meet Central Florida's visitors.

Would it have been firefighter day without celebratory cupcakes? Two young girls in Brevard County didn't think so, which is why they stopped by the Fire Rescue station to drop off some treats to some of Brevard's bravest. What a sweet way to show their appreciation.

We often see first responders saving ducks from drains, but their bird-rescuing skills got even more impressive when St. Cloud Fire Rescue firefighters saved an owl with a broken wing that was stuck in a tree. Pictures posted to the department's Facebook page show crews working carefully to pull off the rescue. Thanks to them, the owl was handed over to animal control to undergo rehabilitation for the deformity to its wing that kept it from flying. Good luck, little hoot.

In Orange County, a 10-year-old girl worked bear-y hard to make a difference in her community. Because she remembered how intimidating it could be the first time a child is transported in an emergency vehicle, she collected hundreds of stuffed animals and donated them to the Orange County Fire Rescue Department to keep on their rescue and medic units so they can comfort others. Department members were so impressed by her gesture, they gave her a shoutout on Twitter. 

For more on these feel-good stories and to see other stories that highlight the good news in Central Florida, watch News 6 at Nine on Wednesdays, starting at 9 a.m.