Valentine’s Day 2018 was a very sad day for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. That day, a lone gunman killed 17 people and left 17 more injured. The whole community was traumatized and healing was slow. A group of hero dogs became part of the healing process that helped faculty and students get back to normal.
A year after, the dogs that comforted the students will be given much-deserved recognition by including them in the school’s yearbook.
The community knew that comfort dogs have become an integral part of the school. Everybody in the Parkland, Florida high school recognized the great contribution done by the dogs that patiently waited on every student every time they need reassurance and comfort. The community knew the pups deserve to be in the publication. In recognition, the school decided to include the dogs’ portraits on the yearbook.
The comfort dogs just stayed in the school’s courtyard area where anybody can go and pet and hug them. Most often, people would visit them during lunch breaks and in between class changes. They provide much-needed comfort so that the students can manage their anxiety and stress due to the trauma from the incident. Most feel relaxed after interacting with the pups which mean a big deal to them.
One standout was a comfort dog named Shooner (the dog with the bow tie). Students say he was the sweetest as he would just sit and comfort anybody who petted and hugged him. He never showed any negative behavior to anybody.
The pups came from the Humane Society and other organizations who offered their dogs for the sake of the students, faculty, and, staff. All of them were wonderful in their own way. They displayed great behaviors as comfort dogs – calm, well-mannered and loving. Certainly, the whole community also gave them the love that they deserve.
To prepare them for the yearbook photoshoot, the dogs were groomed and made to pose befitting a yearbook picture.
Please watch the video below.
Source: Radio.com via Youtube