Lee Road students sit down with service dogs

Fifth-graders at Lee Road Elementary School made some furry friends at an assembly program presented by one of their classmates. 

Jamie Axelrod is a student at the North Wantagh school, which is part of the Levittown School District. Her family volunteers for different animal-based organizations — including Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that “enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs,” officials said. The Axelrods, of Wantagh, taught Jamie’s classmates about the organization at an assembly on Jan. 20. 

Audrey Axelrod, Jamie’s mother, said that she and her daughter began volunteering at Last Hope Animal Rescue, in Wantagh, several years ago. They cleaned out cages and kennels at the local shelter, in addition to participating in a dog walk for multiple sclerosis . 

However, Jamie wanted to do more service work for dogs, Audrey noted. “She saw something on Animal Planet about this puppy program and we decided to do it,” she said of CCI. So, the Axelrods adopted Alfredo, a Black Labrador, and to train him to be a service dog. 

CCI is the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of assistance dogs, according to the group’s website, and is “recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people.” Officials place young dogs with what they described as puppy raisers for socialization and obedience training. 

The Axelrods have cared for Alfredo, fed him special food and taught him more than 50 commands. Alfredo, who is 18 months old, will graduate from the puppy raiser program on Feb. 10. Audrey explained that he would go on to one of five CCI training centers for nine months of advanced training. 

The Axelrods brought Alfredo and Dragon, another CCI dog, to Lee Road to meet Jamie’s classmates. The family taught fifth-graders some of the dogs’ commands. The youngsters also learned the differences between a guide dog and a service dog.

“For the school and community, it shows that dogs are more than just pets,” Audrey said. “My hope for the kids is to show them that you can do something selfless for somebody else and feel good about it. For the family, it’s a bonding experience.”