SPARTAN GRATITUDE: MSU thanks Northville Twp. support dog, officer

Northville Township support dog Max rests near thank-you cards and letters sent by MSU students in the wake of the Feb. 13 shooting on campus.
From grieving to grateful — Michigan State University students and staff have delivered a touching dose of appreciation to Northville Township Police Department support dog Max and his handler, Community Service Officer Andy Domzalski.
Max and Officer Domzalski made regular trips to the MSU campus in the days and weeks following the Feb. 13 shooting that left three students dead and five others critically injured to offer comfort during the beyond-imagination tragedy.
Students immediately bonded with Max, who is specially trained to help people who have experienced trauma.
Touching final assignment
As part of a final project prior to leaving campus for their summer break, students in the university’s IAH 209: Artistic Citizenship class, handcrafted thank-you cards for Max and Officer Domzalski, using a traditional printing process that included designing, carving and hand-pressing.

Included in the cards were hand-written notes from the students.
Domzalski was deeply touched by the gesture.
‘You are our family’
In a letter that accompanied the special thank-you notes, the students wrote:
“February 13th was a day that changed the lives of every single person that called themselves a Spartan. Whether you were on or off campus, the feelings or grief and anger were present. As time has continually progress, some of us are still having a hard time digesting the events. We have looked to our family on campus to help us through the hard days. You are our family.
“Given the events of February 13th, we have chosen to reach out to people that made a difference on that day and continue to help our community function. Having the therapy dogs on campus has helped us heal more than you know. Please enjoy our handwritten thank you cards as we attempt to show our appreciation.”
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