Evergreen, Colo. — Four‑legged staff members at Evergreen High School are providing a steady source of comfort and joy to students still processing the 2025 school shooting. Golden‑lab therapy dogs Norene and Polenta greet students each morning, walk the halls and visit classrooms, offering a calming presence that many say brightens their day.
Therapy dogs arrive on campus
Norene, a calm, young dog, and Polenta, her spunky colleague, joined the school in March and August, respectively. They are part of a program run by Canine Companions, a nonprofit based in California that supplies trauma‑support dogs free of charge. These are the first dogs matched with a school following a shooting on campus.
“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,” said junior Fisher Helbraun. “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.”
Background of the tragedy
In September 2025, a 16‑year‑old student opened fire with a revolver during lunch, wounding two peers before turning the gun on himself. The suspect later died. Principal Skyler Artes sheltered students and staff in the main office and remained on site until the last person left.
“After the shooting everybody was devastated, a lot of sorrow, a lot of grief, a lot of uncertainty about how to proceed,” Artes said.
Impact on students and staff
Students report that the dogs help them stay focused during tests, stressful moments, or even bad weather. Senior Quinn McEvers said, “Having 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.”
Senior Maddie Cornwell added, “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.”
Positive academic trends
Research shows school shootings can lower test scores, but Artes reported the opposite at Evergreen. “We saw our AP test scores go up,” she said, noting a 100 % graduation rate in a year that was extraordinarily difficult.
Program growth and future plans
Volunteers from Canine Companions continued to bring dogs in the days after the shooting, and Artes decided the support dogs should become a permanent presence. “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,” she explained.
Artes, who handles Norene, and lead counselor Amy Wells, who handles Polenta, both completed handler training with the nonprofit. The organization trains dogs from puppyhood, teaching them simple commands and refined skills such as responding to students in distress.
Chief executive Paige Mazzoni of Canine Companions said, “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.”
Each dog typically stays at a facility for eight to ten years before retiring. Artes said she plans to add more support dogs when Norene and Polenta eventually leave their posts, emphasizing the lasting value of unconditional love and steady presence for the school community.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
