In the days after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, emotional support dogs were brought to Parkland to help provide a little bit of comfort. On the 5th anniversary of the tragic shooting, the animals were back in the hopes of bringing some joy to students and staff at Hollywood Hills High School on such a somber day.
There was a line of students Tuesday waiting to spend time with emotional support dogs Zoe and Force.
It’s the second year in a row that the Humane Society partnered with Broward County Public Schools to make sure the furry friends were on campus for a very important job.
PARKLAND 5 YEARS LATER
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Latinos in Action Advisor Diana Cabote helped organize the visit to the school.
"I think the connection the students make with the doggies, you just see a different side of them and how sensitive they become with the doggies," Cabote said.
Tenth grade student Abigail Stratman was in 5th grade when the shooting happened back in 2018 but she remembers, and she always will.
"Having this day is really an emotional day for us not only with the shooting but also with everyone here kind of like supporting each other,” said Stratman.
Connecting with Force, the greyhound, was so meaningful to her that it brought her to tears.
Principal Daniel Most led a moment of silence at 10:17 a.m. He called Feb. 14, 2023, a "Day of Service and Love."
“Hate unfortunately is what caused this tragedy, so we want to make sure we’re promoting positivity and love and remembering that we never know what tomorrow is going to bring," said Most.
In order to help spread that positivity, throughout the school’s courtyard, clubs set up tables to promote a message of kindness, love and empathy.
While the activities and the pets will never erase the tragedy, they will go a long way to helping ease the pain of that day, even if it’s just for a moment.
