Daler, an 8-week-old yellow Labrador puppy, was adopted by Farmingdale School Superintendent Paul Defendini in the wake of a district tragedy. Daler became a beloved symbol of healing and resilience in the community. Superintendent Defendini fostered Daler until May 2024, when she began six months of service dog training.
On November 7, 2025, Dog graduated and was matched with her new owner, Lauren Hemmerly, 39, of Medford. Hemmerly, who is approximately 3 feet tall and has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, will adopt Daler as her third service dog, a decision she made when she was 18 years old. Daler is trained to perform tasks like retrieving items, turning off switches, guiding her owner down stairs, and navigating crowds/parking lots. Hemmerly met Defendini for the first time at Daler’s graduation.
“You become a team. You become a buddy. You are one entity. From that point, it’s kind of like, that’s your right arm,” Hemmerly said. “ I couldn’t imagine moving forward without a service dog."