Four therapy dogs have become a daily source of comfort for students at Evergreen High School in Colorado, more than a year after a shooting at the school during lunch hour in September 2025. A 16-year-old student opened fire with a revolver, wounding two students before shooting himself. The suspect later died, according to The Associated Press.
The Evergreen High School therapy dogs now greet students in hallways, during tests and on ordinary school days, offering what Principal Skyler Artes described as a steady presence during a difficult recovery.
How The Therapy Dogs Support Students
Artes sheltered in the main office with students and staff during the shooting. Describing the aftermath, the principal told the AP that “everybody was devastated, a lot of sorrow, a lot of grief, a lot of uncertainty about how to proceed.”
Artes said the dogs’ temperament makes them well suited to helping students through that kind of trauma. “The fact that they are calm, that they’re generally peaceful and attentive makes them good at providing that ongoing, consistent, stable source of support, affection and quiet when people need it most,” Artes said. Students have built the dogs into their daily routines.
Fisher Helbraun, a junior at the school, visits them every morning. “Every morning after I get off the bus, I have to say hi to these two. It’s my first thing I do every day,” Helbraun said.
“Every single time I see one, I always have a smile on my face. I always get either some puppy kisses or I get some nice pets.”
Senior Maddie Cornwell said the dogs provide an emotional lift simply by being around. “That kind of innocent joy and love that they have to share, they just give it to humans so easily and it just makes you so happy to see them play and run around,” Cornwell said.
What School Officials Say About The Support Available
Artes said the dogs’ presence has a visible effect on morale around campus. “The second that I see them in the hallway, or I go out of my way to come see them, it just brightens my day, it makes it so much better,” Artes said. A school official who works with the animals said their impact extends beyond moments tied directly to the shooting. “These dogs in the school is amazing because when we have tests, when there’s a stressful moment, when the weather’s bad, when, honestly, anything puts our mood kind of down, the dogs are there,” the official said.
A school official identified as McEvers connected that emotional support to academic performance. “I would think people do a lot better in school when they’re actually in a good mood or when they’re excited about going to school,” McEvers said.
Background And Academic Results
Evergreen High School saw AP test scores rise in the same year as the shooting and reported a 100% graduation rate the following year, according to the AP. The report did not detail what other counseling or support services the school offers alongside the dogs.
Therapy dogs placed in school settings typically serve for 8 to 10 years before retiring, according to the AP. One school official framed the value of that long-term presence in simple terms. “Having a steady presence, an animal that doesn’t really care what’s going on and loves you anyway, that unconditional love and support, that is valuable no matter what’s going on,” the official said.
Artes also pointed to what makes dogs effective partners in this kind of work. “What’s really powerful about dogs in this type of work is that they have a lot of heart, they have high intelligence, they respond very well to people and to forming a partnership, and it’s really the power of the human-canine bond,” Artes said.
What’s Next
The four therapy dogs remain part of daily life at Evergreen High School, continuing to greet students and staff as the school community moves forward from the 2025 shooting. The AP report did not specify further changes planned for the program.
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