BETHLEHEM — A group of residents in the Connecticut town where the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School once worked is raising money for a statue to honor the victim of the massacre.
The Bethlehem residents don’t want a statue of Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung — they want to erect a statue of her dog, Bella, who played an important role in lives of the town’s children.
Hochsprung was one of 26 students and educators killed in the Dec. 14, 2012 attack in Newtown.
She was previously a teacher and principal in Bethlehem. Bella was a certified therapy dog who would visit schools to sit with children and be their reading buddy.
Thomas Brayton tells the Republican American the goal is to raise $35,000 for a statue of Bella to be placed in the courtyard of Bethlehem Elementary.
Donations can be sent to the Dawn and Bella Fund, to the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation Inc., 2 Washington Square, Newtown, Ct., 06470.
