WELCH, W.Va. – West Virginia Senator Jim Justice made a stop in Welch on Friday to talk with McDowell County leaders about flood recovery. As part of the stop, he also took time to visit with children at Welch Elementary School.
Justice, along with his beloved companion Babydog visited with children alongside the school’s therapy dog, Coal.
Justice talked with the children about the recent adversity the county has faced and allowed the children to ask questions about Babydog. The kids also got the opportunity to pet the beloved companion.
The visit was a surprise to the students and the school’s principal says it means a lot to them to have Justice and Babydog’s support through recent tough times.
“It’s awesome to see how much he supports our families with all this tremendous loss that we’ve gone through and that we’re bouncing back and filled with resilience. We’re excited,” said Sarah Diaz.
Diaz says this is the second time Justice and Babydog have visited the school.
They also visited in 2022 when the school received their therapy dog, Coal as part of West Virginia’s Friends With Paws program.
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