The Parkland shooting in Florida was a tragic event, but now that two weeks have passed the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are starting to get back to their normal routine.
In an attempt to make the transition back to school a little more comfortable, principal Ty Thompson arranged for a special treat for the students. He brought in a fleet of therapy dogs to provide comfort to the students who have been through so much, and the results are hard to argue with.
Thompson has been extremely active on Twitter since the event, and his focus has been first and foremost the emotional well-being of his students. As the students began returning, Thompson had arranged to have several therapy dogs on hand, ready to support the teens who have been through so much.
He has stated “the focus is on emotional readiness and comfort not curriculum” so that the students of MSD can begin to “reclaim the nest.”
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The kids were welcomed by a fleet of smiling golden retrievers and each classroom had a different visiting support animal inside. A bunch of sweet dogs were cuddling the kids, helping them adjust to being back after the traumatic event.
After the first day, Thompson decided that what this school needed was more therapy dogs. He has increased the number of dogs every day that they’ve been back and the kids are thrilled.
As he helps to bring all the kids gain the strength they need to heal and carry on, Thompson has found a way to bring them a little bit of joy in this trying time.
The dogs have come from the Human Broward’s Animal Assisted Therapy, and they are happy to help. The dogs “participated in classes all day, made lots of new friends and provided unconditional love and comfort” according to their Instagram, and they are honored to be able give their support to these kids.