This week, the students who survived the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut returned to school, only a few weeks after 20 of their classmates and six of their teachers and administrators were killed. And they weren't alone: the comfort dogs who visited Newtown in the immediate aftermath of the shooting returned to help the children transition back to school. You can check out some photos above.
“We were told that some of the students didn’t want to come to school, but when they heard the comfort dogs would be there, they came,” Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, told RNS about the visit. “Some teachers also said they needed the dogs, to be able to face the students.” Hetzner said the kids petted and stroked the dogs’ fur, gave them kisses and hugs, and some talked to them: “One girl was sharing with the dog. She had a sibling who had died.”
The dogs weren't the only ones offering comfort to the survivors of the shooting this week: former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Arizona two years ago, visited Newtown Friday for a private meeting with families of the victims. And R. Kelly released a musical tribute to the survivors of the shooting, "I Know You Are Hurting."
