Walmart shooting five years later: Gentle giant helps begin healing process

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Paws for Love therapy dog handler Rodd Garcia remembers the exact moment he heard about the moment a gunman shot and killed 23 people at the Cielo Vista Walmart on August 3rd, 2019, and injured 22 others.

“[I'm seeing] emergency vehicles, police vehicles, and firetrucks, and just everything happened at once, and I’m thinking, ‘something big just happened,’ and I’m thinking, ‘how could this happen to our city?" said Garcia.

"This doesn’t happen to our city, you know, it just seemed absolutely surreal."

ABC-7 caught up with Garcia along with one of his current therapy dogs, Coco, at Del Sol Medical Center.

Garcia told us that he may not have realized in that moment of the shooting was that he, and his licensed therapy dog Duke, would play a huge role in the initial healing process.

“Upon learning more of this, of what actually happened, all the trauma that was going on in the hospitals, with the families, the victims and all that, I kind of had this idea to put duke into service, and see if he could provide some kind of comfort," said Garcia.

The next step was taking Duke to Del Sol.

“We got there, I walked Duke in, and the er staff came around him, down on the floor, and most of the staff laid around him, and the loving started, the crying started, hugging, and I just stood back and let it happen," said Garcia.

"We were there for quite some time and just watched it happen, and he just gave a lot of love and comfort and a lot of tears, and it was just amazing," he added.

Garcia and Duke tended to victims, hospital staff, and first responders for days following the shooting.

Another Paws for Love handler and dog also went to University Medical Center, where many victims were.

Duke eventually retired from therapy —  and died shortly after.

However, Garcia continues his mission of healing and helping others with Coco.

In fact, he says she has even met some of the survivors of the August 3rd massacre.

“I think it was last year, they had a gathering at the memorial at Ascarate lake and we were there, and of course there were some people that walked up and said, ‘where’s Duke, where’s Duke?’ and I said he’s since passed, and say this is Coco, and she’s received a very warm welcome as well," said Garcia.

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering for pet therapy, send an email to pawsforlovetherapypets@hotmail.com.