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Meet Ludo, four-legged courthouse employee

Newswatch 16's Chris Keating shows us how the furry employee will help during court proceedings.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Meet Ludo, the two-year-old black lab is the new facility dog at the Lycoming County Courthouse. 

He comes to work every day with his owner, Jerri Rook.

"He is another trained service dog that came from Canine Companions, the same place Jedi came from. He has been in training since he was eight weeks old," said Rook.

Ludo is taking over for the former courthouse dog, Jedi. 

Jedi died last November during his battle with lymphoma. 

"Everybody loves Ludo just as much as they loved Jedi. Jedi will never be replaced. He was number one and he always will be but Ludo and I plan to continue the work that we started," Rook said.

Right now Ludo is just getting acclimated to the Lycoming County Courthouse and how court proceedings work. But in early June he will officially be on the clock.

"He will be working with the children, the victims, he will be working in treatment courts," Rook explained. "For most of the kids it gives them a positive reason to be coming here. So, instead of 'I have to go see the judge,' it is 'I get to go see the dog.'"

Ludo doesn't just help out kids in the courtroom. People who work at the courthouse love to stop by and say hi to their furry coworker.

"It is not just for the folks coming in for court but for our treatment team it has been wonderful. I have personally been impacted by dogs all my life and I love having them here," said Shea Madden, West Branch Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission.

Officials at the Lycoming County Courthouse say that Ludo will soon have his very own set of trading cards for kids. 

See more pets and animal stories on WNEP’s YouTube playlist.

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