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Parkland Brings Back Therapy Dogs To Help Community Get Ready For Start Of School

Therapy Dog Sophie rests her head on the hand of a recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduate during last week's Therapy Dog Thursday event at the Parkland Recreation Center in Pine Trails Park.
Jessica Bakeman
/
WLRN
Therapy Dog Sophie rests her head on the hand of a recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduate during last week's Therapy Dog Thursday event at the Parkland Recreation Center in Pine Trails Park.

Therapy dogs — and even a therapy pig named "Patches" — were popular at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the Feb. 14 shooting.

Parkland mayor Christine Hunschofsky said she was concerned students might feel isolated over the summer. So she invited the animals and their owners to attend "Therapy Dog Thursdays" at the Parkland recreation center.

"The dogs are very calming," she said during last week's event. "You probably notice when you walk in the room: they're so excited to see whoever's there. There's ... a joy from the dogs. And I think that's very comforting."

There are two more "Therapy Dogs Thursdays" — plus a bonus Tuesday event — before school starts in Broward on Aug. 15.

Visit the recreation center in Pine Trails Park today or next Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. Or you can go from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14 — which is the six-month anniversary of the shooting and the day before the first day of school.

Copyright 2018 WLRN 91.3 FM

Jessica Bakeman reports on K-12 and higher education for WLRN, south Florida's NPR affiliate. While new to Miami and public radio, Jessica is a seasoned journalist who has covered education policymaking and politics in three state capitals: Jackson, Miss.; Albany, N.Y.; and, most recently, Tallahassee.