Service Dogs Teach Elwood Students About Disability Awareness

A few special furry friends visited two Elwood Schools in honor of Special Education PTA Disabilities Awareness Week.

Service dogs from the Canine Companions for Independence organization visited students at Harley Avenue Primary and James H. Boyd Intermediate schools.

During the visit, students learned about the organization, the types of assistance dogs they train and the process of training service dogs.

Canine Companion volunteers explained their roles of assisting adults with physical disabilities to perform daily tasks. They also educated the students on how to identify when a service dog is working and the average amount of years an assistance dog will work. To conclude the presentation, students asked questions about the program and the service dogs in attendance.

“We wanted to come up with an age-appropriate program to explain to the children of Harley and Boyd about disability awareness,” said Elwood SEPTA president Terri Zenobio. “We know that most kids love animals and these are really special animals and special people, so we thought this would be a good match.”

Story by Syntax, Photos courtesy of the Elwood Union Free School District

1-2: Representatives from the Canine Companions for Independence visited students at Harley Avenue Primary School.

3: Representatives from the Canine Companions for Independence visited students at James H. Boyd Intermediate School.