Daler was an 8-week-old yellow Labrador retriever puppy when she was adopted by Farmingdale School Superintendent Paul Defendini, three months after an unspeakable tragedy in the district.

As she grew up, she joined other service dogs from Medford-based Canine Companions that came to Farmingdale High School to help bring back music to the band room where students and their instruments had been silenced by grief.

They brought comfort to those traumatized by a Sept. 21, 2023, upstate bus crash that injured dozens of students and killed band director Gina Pellettiere and chaperone Beatrice Ferrari.

“Daler didn’t just walk the halls, she truly changed us,” Defendini said. “It showed us service dogs are more than just helpers; they are life changers.

“Sometimes it was hard to get kids to ta

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