Duke sits on command at WCDC, Inc. Tuesday morning. Photo by Sally Y. Hart

A tool to help clients at WCDC, Inc. in Washington comes complete with yellow fur, four paws, and a wagging tail. Duke, an 11-week-old yellow Labrador retriever, is now going to work daily at WCDC and being trained to be an on-site service dog. President of WCDC, David Hoffman is one of Duke’s handlers and says he’ll be a facility dog to help clients emotionally and calm down, “If you’ve ever been around dogs, you know instantly when a dog walks into a room they bring a positive atmosphere. … And Duke is definitely one of those dogs that can do that.” He adds they’re slowly working Duke into a routine and getting the clients familiar with him. Duke came from Sonrise Helpers Service Dogs from the Wellman area. They have received donations from local Optimist and Kiwanis Clubs to help fund Duke and his training.