Created For This Moment w/ Courtney Burns

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How Esther The Comfort Dog Brings Emotional Support To Her Las Vegas School

Photo by Jill Heupel

Photo by Jill Heupel

About The Episode

Courtney Burns works at Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School in Las Vegas – a private school of 2,000 students going from 6th grade to 12th grade.

She’s always loved dogs and believed in the power of dogs. For a while, she had been trying to get a comfort or therapy dog program to start at the school.

When the One October shooting happened in Las Vegas, it had a heavy impact on the school. She and the faculty were trying to figure out the best way to move forward.

After reaching out to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry to send dogs in the initial days following, it changed everything when those dogs showed up. Her boss gave her the OK to get a dog and she got a golden doodle named Esther that afternoon.

Ever since, Esther has been loved by students and faculty - but has not been a distraction. And even in her line of work in counseling kids, Esther helps the kids calm down quicker and speak to what they came in to talk about and work through it easier.

Since Courtney is also the official owner of Esther, that means they also go back home together and hang out with Courtney’s other dog, a 200-pound mastiff named Maeby (as well as a cat), which has made the bond between Courtney and Esther to be even closer and more significant.

About The Guest - Courtney Burns

Courtney Burns works as the Middle School Director of Guidance, and 7th and 8th-grade Counselor, at Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School in Las Vegas. After the school went through a traumatic experience at the time of the One October Las Vegas shooting, as well as other struggles, Courtney worked to bring in Esther - a comfort or therapy dog who has since helped the school, both the students and faculty, get through tough times and into a happier daily flow. And instead of the school owning Esther, she is instead Courtney’s personal dog - which has led them to have a closer connection with an interesting balance between working together and playing together.

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