It has become abundantly clear that we cannot count on the government to protect our kids from gun violence in schools. The onus of the burden falls upon us.
As an early childhood teacher on a college campus, I went through active shooter protocol training and monthly active shooter lockdown drills. Our own security guards warned us that there would be significant loss of life before they could respond. It was stressful and frightening, but I do not believe allowing teachers to carry guns is the answer.
I watched the footage taken inside a classroom during the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida and realized that, in spite of my training, I would not have been prepared. Teachers aren’t soldiers, and it’s reprehensible to put them in a position where they are forced to act as human shields.
The most recent shooting in Colorado highlights a far darker trend; students acting as human shields. This is abhorrent. These are our children. I do not believe a person without combat training can be relied upon to take down an active shooter, nor should they, but I know some dogs who will gladly sign up for that task.
Before becoming an early childhood teacher, I trained military working dogs. These dogs will not hesitate to sprint into active fire and disable a shooter. They are fearless precision weapons, and a much faster, smaller target than a police officer, teacher or student. What’s more, they can prevent a potential shooters access to schools by alerting to the scent of ammunition.
Pairing these dogs with school resource officers will create an invisible perimeter around the school. There is no way to hide the scent of ammunition from the nose of a skilled detection dog. Furthermore, these dogs will boost the morale and confidence of teachers, students and parents while allowing children to attend a school without fences, metal detectors or armed teachers. They pose no more threat than any other dog to persons not carrying a firearm.
Using highly trained dogs to prevent and stop school shootings is not a perfect solution, but it sidesteps the gridlocked gun control debate. This is a national crisis, and we need innovators from all walks of life to offer up their ideas on how to solve the problem. I’m eager to hear what contributions others will make to this discussion.
Emily Walker
Emily Walker, Tooele, is an experienced K-9 handler and early childhood professional. She is currently advancing her education at the University of Utah.