Milo Makes 14 Seeing Eye Dogs Trained at Cedar Hill Elementary School

Bonnie DiCola has a way with dogs and children. The Cedar Hill Elementary School nurse, in Montville Township, is so committed to both that, for the past thirteen years, she has found a way to provide a life-long learning experience for several generations of students while training service dogs for The Seeing Eye of Morristown, NJ.

On a sunny day this spring, DiCola and Cedar Hill prepared to say goodbye to Milo, the nurse’s fourteenth canine trainee.

A kindergarten to fifth grade school, Cedar Hill is noted in the Montville Township community as the public school that trains Seeing Eye dogs. The experience is available to the students only because of DiCola’s commitment to the strict protocol of The Seeing Eye program.

“My dogs are well trained service dogs,” DiCola said, “because they are working all the time. Every day, here at school with the children, the dogs learn how to listen and take commands.  Our dogs are docile. There are a lot of distractions, but, you can see, the dog knows what to do. And the children know what to do. They love the dogs, and the dogs take care of the children.”

Indeed, with a dog around, the atmosphere in the Cedar Hill nurse’s office is uniquely comforting. Splinters, tummy aches, and scrapes are much easier to overcome when petting a dog is the reward for bravery.

“Bonnie is the only host family that I know of who takes the dogs to school,” said Jill Jaycox, an Area Coordinator of Puppy Development for The Seeing Eye.

Each year with DiCola at Cedar Hill, a service dog arrives as a seven week old puppy, and leaves as an adult dog ready to be assigned to an owner in need of assistance.

This year, when the puppy arrived, all that the students knew was that “M” was the first initial of his name.

“We had a contest where the students guessed the name,” DiCola recalled. “Several students did guess Milo.”

After thirteen years and fourteen dogs, it is now a Cedar Hill tradition that, throughout the school year, the service dog becomes as much a part of the community as any of the staff and students.

On this particular spring day, Milo was scheduled to return by van to The Seeing Eye for his final training and ultimate placement. He could be paired with an owner in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland or Pennsylvania.

During his tenure at Cedar Hill, Milo lived and worked with DiCola. But, as part of Milo’s training, Principal Dr. Michael Raj and his family took Milo home on weekends in order to give the dog an opportunity to adjust to a variety of settings and circumstances.

“These are tough days,” said Raj of preparing to send Milo back to The Seeing Eye. “It’s never easy to say goodbye.”

Throughout the day, however, everyone did say goodbye. DiCola made certain that Milo had time to visit with the students during lunch, and the students showered Milo with hand-made cards, poems, and drawings. Many asked permission to pet Milo, and both DiCola and Raj granted their requests.

“Cedar Hill students know how to interact with a service dog,” DiCola explained.

The students’ gifts, Milo’s first collar, as well a journal that DiCola began writing when Milo arrived, would accompany him back to Morristown. For privacy reasons, all the drawings and photos had only Milo in them, no students. The journal also talked only of Milo’s experiences, habits, and achievements. The items will provide Milo’s new owner with a history and understanding of Milo’s personality and training. But, with The Seeing Eye’s No Contact Policy, only if the owner and trainer choose to connect, will the new owner ever know who trained Milo.

Throughout the Cedar Hill school year, many activities center around the dogs and The Seeing Eye program. For 2013-2014, Milo helped to teach the students about Dusty’s Law, which Senator Anthony Bucco (R), from New Jersey's neighboring 25th Legislative District, introduced. The law established criminal penalties for animals, and owners of animals, that kill, injure, or interfere with a guide dog. Cedar Hill’s students watched the progress of Dusty’s Law closely on Milo’s bulletin board in the front hallway.

Students also helped to raise funds in support of Seeing Eye initiatives. As Milo was preparing to return to Morristown, the third grade students were holding a Dessert Challenge. Working in teams, the students developed and marketed a dessert. Following lunch, the other grades shopped at the dessert market. Each dessert team worked to be the first to sell-out. Proceeds from the challenge were slated to support the Seeing Eye.

“We wish you happiness in your new home,” said one card that students dropped off in the nurse’s office for Milo. “Your new family will be lucky to have you.”

When it was time to go, Milo was accompanied by DiCola and several students to The Seeing Eye van. Milo jumped in, and moments later, Jaycox and Milo drove off, ready to prepare for Milo’s next assignment.