By Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
WELCH, W.Va. — A local school’s students met a new friend Friday who’s coming to school every day to help cheer them up when they’re sad and listen to their troubles while he wags his tail.
Gov. Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice visited Welch Elementary School to help introduce Coal, a male Labrador Retriever trained to be a therapy dog. Welch Elementary is the West Virginia’s first school to receive a therapy dog through the new Friends With Paws program.
Students were ready to welcome their new friend Coal when he arrived at their school. Posters featuring Coal and slogans like “We dig Coal” and “You had us at woof!” were being displayed around the gymnasium.
“We’re embarking on something really special,” Justice said. “Our amazing students are the reason for all of this. In this day and age, it can be pretty stressful to be a kid. But to have a little doggie like Coal at school, who loves everybody, all the time, it’s going to brighten our students’ spirits and warm their hearts like you can’t imagine.” …
