SUDBURY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Peter Noyes Elementary School has welcomed a new faculty member—one with four legs and a wagging tail.
Sophie, a black lab that is almost two years old, started serving as a classroom assistance dog for grades pre-K through 5.
She has been trained since birth to be a service dog, through the non-profit NEADS.
Sophie was matched with the assistant principal Kristin Moffat, who underwent handler training in March.
"We will primarily use her in a situation where we are trying to incentivize students," Moffat said in a news release. "She has already made a huge difference, and it is only going to get better from here."
She is helping support the students in an educational, social, and emotional way.
For example, kindergarten students have been asked to read to her as a learning exercise.
WBZ NewsRadio's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) visited Sophie at Peter Noyes Elementary School:
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Written by Edyn Jensen
(Photo: Matt Shearer/WBZ NewsRadio)