KOTARA High School has farewelled one of the most loved members of its community: Axel the Labrador.
The school's business manager Raelene Thorn welcomed Axel into her home the day before the Hunter went into lockdown in August 2021, after she saw a friend raise a puppy to be a potential guide dog.
"We thought 'What a great idea, to raise a puppy in the school'," Ms Thorn said.
"Every day I come to work he comes with me. At break times with the students we'll go out for a walk, if he hasn't got his coat on they are allowed to pat him, if he has it on we're just training.
"Crowd control was great for him, learning to be amongst a big crowd."
She said they aimed to build Axel's resilience and so he wouldn't be fazed by anything.
Guide Dogs puppy development adviser Page Power said life didn't always go to plan.
"The dogs have to be able to make a decision, 'Okay we're going to go this way instead because there's a big construction site'," Ms Power said.
Ms Thorn said the students "absolutely adore" Axel, who became a school celebrity.
"I'm sure every student has a picture of him on their phone and there were selfies all the time, he's very good at posing," she said.
"They got to learn about guide dogs and how and what we're doing so it was beneficial that way too."
Axel, who is now 18 months old, recently passed his initial assessment, which included skill tests, temperament tests and health checks in Sydney.
He will start an intensive five months of training on January 9 to become a fully working guide dog.
Ms Thorn will get another puppy in February.
"I'm attached to him but my aim is all concentrated on that end person, it's all about them."
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