Service dogs for new nonprofit Lux’s Purpose are already changing lives

Service dogs for new nonprofit Lux’s Purpose are already changing lives Categories: Lifestyle Service dogs for new nonprofit Lux’s Purpose are already changing lives Lux’s Purpose, which started training its first group of puppies one year ago, uses students to train the dogs before they are adopted by families who need service dogs. Brooke Davis, Staff Writer • October 14, 2026 Photo courtesy of Izel Bernal Kira Diament (left) and Aaliyah Robinson (right) posing alongside their service dog in training, Rowan, at the Bell Tower. Photo courtesy of Izel Bernal. If you’ve ever lived in a dorm or a college apartment, you know that those rooms can get pretty small. Now, imagine adding a big, fluffy golden retriever to the mix. That’s how UNC students working with the nonprofit organization Lux’s Purpose live. By providing the initial training and donating dogs to families and children who need them, the nonprofit organization reduces the cost of getting a service dog. The nonprofit’s first litter of puppies raised recently turned one year old. Jordan Dormer, a junior at UNC, held the dog she is raising, Fable, in her hands when she was born. Now, they are working together to overcome fears and prepare Fable for anything. “It’s almost unbelievable that all that has happened in a year,” Dormer said. “The fact that these dogs are going to class and they’re doing amazing, they’re out around all these people and they can stay focused. It’s incredible.” Over the past year, the student raisers have been working with their dogs to prepare them for life as a service animal. Each dog works at their own pace, which is one of the aspects that makes Lux’s Purpose stand out, since many similar organizations will remove dogs from their programs if they are not making progress in a certain time frame. Aaliyah Robinson, another student at UNC helping raise a service dog through Lux’s Purpose, said that while the dogs are learning everyday, the process of raising a service dog is not always linear. “They’re amazing, and sometimes smarter than us,” Robinson said. “But they’re still dogs, and we just have to accept and work through those hard times. And we have been, and it’s so rewarding to see them.” The beginning of the training process can be difficult, because no dog is perfect at first, Dormer said. Dormer said she felt worried about people judging her, and Fable picked up on that fear. However, as they’ve grown together over the past year, they’ve both become more comfortable. “I’ve had to learn to just not worry about what people are thinking, because that doesn’t matter,” Dormer said. “What matters is me and her.” A main focus of the student raisers is getting the dogs desensitized to being in public, so they are able to stay focused on their owner no matter where they are or what distractions are around them. This is what makes settings like a college campus an ideal spot to begin their training because of the wide variety of environments they move through during a typical day, from a busy street to a quiet classroom to a crowded dining hall. Wherever their owner goes, the service dogs have to be with them, so this first step of training is essential. Ellie Ossman, who has been raising Lark since the beginning of this semester, said that it’s not only important for the dogs to go everywhere, but also to be paying attention to their owner at all times. “Right now, I don’t need his alerts,” Ossman said. “But, if he needs to be fully focused on his handler — which he will be with his kid that he’s matched with — they could miss an alert, they could get distracted, they could end up really harming the child. So, we don’t want to create those habits on campus.” There are several challenges that come with raising a service dog as a college student. For one thing, it’s a huge time commitment. Ossman said the process can feel overwhelming at times. However, she said that as much as she has helped her dog grow, her dog has helped her too. “Having a little bit more purpose and a little bit of something else other than school to give myself to was something I really needed,” Ossman said. “So, I definitely grabbed onto these pups and have loved every step of it.” Raising a service dog has been a rewarding process for many of the student raisers. Getting a service dog can change a child’s life, and Robinson has seen this first hand with her sister and her service dog, Asher. Now, Robison and the dog she’s raising, Rowan, get to help other kids get the care they need.  While Rowan originally had some fears around loud noises in public, they recently have been going back out around campus together, and Robinson has seen him checking in on her and staying attentive. “I was just really proud to see that, because that was something that consistent training and effort was put in, and I saw the result of it,” Robinson said. “And I could tell that he was proud of himself for doing that and being good. So yeah, very rewarding for both of us, I would say.” @dailytarheel | [email protected] 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story More to Discover More in Lifestyle UNC Artists in the Archives Student Fellowship lets creatives of all kinds discover their next inspiration I made Instagram casual again. You should too. 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