Gunner, Schalmont’s therapy dog, made his debut at Jefferson Elementary School today as he delighted students with his classroom visits.

“I can’t believe there’s a dog in our classroom!” said one excited student.

“Can he stay in our class the whole day?” asked another student.

Gunner and his owner, High School Teacher Mr. Beck, visited about half the classes today and will return another day to visit with more students. Gunner is registered through Therapy Dogs International after passing all the required tests and evaluation.

With his wide smile, continually wagging tail and gentle demeanor, Gunner was an instant celebrity in the school as he walked around classrooms and let students pet him. Students had lots of questions for Mr. Beck such as how old Gunner is (3 years old), what kind of dog he is (a black Labrador) and what he likes to eat (almost everything).

Gunner also clearly enjoyed his visit as he learned Elementary classrooms often have more food crumbs on the floor than High School classrooms and there are also cubbies with lunch boxes to sniff.