Larc School in Bellmawr, NJ embarks on new therapy program

BELLMAWR, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Jimmy is the newest staff member at the Larc School in Bellmawr, New Jersey.

He is a specially trained therapy guide dog and the new star celebrity at the school.

The facility caters to students with special needs. Many of the students receive therapy throughout their day, and Jimmy will assist in therapy sessions, greeting and being a motivator and morale boost for students and staff.

"Every day we see miracles happen," explains Stefanie Riehl, the executive director of Larc School. "We recently saw a child say their first word. We see kids celebrate their eighth birthdays who weren't supposed to live past seven. And that's all thanks to our amazing staff. So to have new guide dog Jimmy as a motivator, it's so important to our kids."

The school received the 2-year-old golden retriever as part of a partnership with Guide Dog Foundation and America's Vet Dog Program.

Cheyenne Whitetree, the service dog apprentice instructor for Guide Dog Foundation, says "these dogs look past the students' disabilities and are really motivated to give them the help they need to live without boundaries."

Jimmy will work on-site for four hours a day and stays at staffers' homes at night.

"Every day at Larc we try to make every day better for our kids than the next," said Riehl. "Therapy is different for everybody at Larc. It is up to us to help every kid match their potential."

For more information on Guide Dog Foundation, you can visit them at: https://guidedog.org

For more information on Larc School in Bellmawr, visit: https://larcschool.org