The children who witnessed the shooting at Uvalde school started their first year of school since the massacre this week. To comfort the traumatized students, 10 Golden Retrievers stood ready to greet them.
Students at schools across the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District are greeted by “comfort dogs” as they return to class for the fall semester. Many students expressed fear and concern about returning to the classroom.
The May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School killed 19 students and two teachers.
“I’m so scared and shocked after what happened at my old school and I’m still scared and nervous,” said Zeke Wyndham, whose fourth-grade classroom was down the hall from the targets, on his first day back to CNN.
“I can still hear the shots,” he said.
Robb Elementary School has been closed since the fatal shooting and students have been relocated to another location.
Students anxiously climbed out of their cars as 10 golden retrievers, recruited from across the country, attended as comfort dogs.
“There was a lot of hesitancy and fear to get out of the car and go to school,” Bonnie Fear, crisis response coordinator, told CNN.
“So we put the dogs outside, and I think that helped some of the kids see the dog and say, ‘Okay, well, I’m going to pet the dog.’
Comfort dogs have been brought to various Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District campuses to help students returning for the fall school year feel comfortable
“There was a lot of hesitancy and fear to get out of the car and go to school,” Bonnie Fear, crisis response coordinator, told CNN. “So we put the dogs outside, and I think that helped some of the kids see the dog and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to pet the dog.'”
Comfort dogs have been brought to various Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District campuses to help students returning for the fall school year feel comfortable
The students gathered around the dogs, which will be present on campus for three weeks
According to Fear, the puppies were distributed across schools to ease students’ anxiety when they step onto campus for the first time since the tragedy.
The comfort dogs were also called out right after the shooting in May.
The dogs were brought in for the second time this year by Lutheran Church Charities’ K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry. The furry puppies will be present on campus for the next three weeks.
Each dog has two handlers who make sure the puppies greet students around campus. Some dogs were placed near counseling offices, while others were stationed in hallways.
“That’s going to keep changing as the needs come up, as the kids get into their routine and where the dogs are needed,” Fear told CNN.
“Our goal is to be present with those who are hurting and in need, and we show up and just be with them whatever they’re feeling.”
The school district also unveiled high-security measures on the first day of classes, including a large police presence, cameras and fences.
Students anxiously climbed out of their cars as 10 golden retrievers, recruited from across the country, attended as comfort dogs
There are ten dogs distributed across the district. Each dog has two handlers
The dogs were also used in May after the first shooting
Some schools have taken massive security measures, including installing high fences (pictured) and armed security guards
AJ Martinez showed up at another school in the Uvalde district on Wednesday after being injured in the May 24 shooting. The gunman broke into his classroom and killed his two teachers and 19 classmates.
Martinez was able to dive under backpacks to hide but was hit by a bullet in his leg.
“Yeah, I’m nervous,” he told CNN while wearing a T-shirt with photos of his late teachers and classmates. His t-shirt read, “My teachers and classmates forever.”
His mother expressed her concerns when she dropped him off.
“I’m just scared — worried about my kids and all the teachers and students that are coming back,” Kassandra Chavez told CNN.
Martinez carries the disturbing memories of the fatal shooting in his head. A family member said he told his mother he hated the shooter and what he had done to his friends and teachers.
Students who survived the May 24 massacre returned to a new school on Wednesday. Pictured: Kassandra Chavez and AJ Martinez
AJ Martinez is now a fifth grader at a new school. He was in one of the classrooms that was attacked in May. Martinez was able to duck under his backpack and hide, but was still shot in the leg while his two teachers and many classmates died
Kassandra Chavez, Martinez’s mother, worries about her children’s safety as she takes them to school
Fifth grader Zeke Wyndham was not in one of the classrooms attacked, but heard the shots in his own fourth grader classroom down the hall. He told CNN he “can still hear the gunshots from that day.”
Experts say the presence of dogs promotes beneficial chemicals in the brain, lowers blood pressure and helps reduce stress.
dr Jane Manno, a psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic, says that walking, petting, or even just sitting with dogs helps increase levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain — which lifts someone’s mood.
dr Jane Manno, a psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic, spoke about the benefits of having a dog
A number of studies have shown how owning a dog can improve health and mood. About one in three American households — or 48 million — is home to a dog, according to the numbers.
“Just being physically close to animals releases some positive neurotransmitters in the brain.
“Studies have shown serotonin and dopamine [are released], so there is a biological component. It lowers blood pressure, it lowers the stress hormone cortisol.”
