For the past 18 months, Maisie Dorwart of Manheim has been preparing to say goodbye to a furry friend. As a puppy raiser with Canine Companions, Dorwart has worked with Cyprus, a black Labrador/golden retriever mix, since he was 8 weeks old, preparing him to take on the role of a service dog.

"My biggest goal as a puppy raiser was to socialize him, so he went everywhere with me - school, grocery store, restaurants, public transportation, etc." she said. "We worked on basic commands and attended puppy class through Canine Companions' Philadelphia chapter twice a month."

Dorwart, who attends graduate school at Temple University, said Cyprus was a hit with students.

"The biggest highlight was seeing people light up every time I brought him to campus," she shared. "It was an opportunity to allow people to love on him and show how amazing he is, but also educate people on what service dogs do."

But Dorwart's time with Cyprus was temporary, and on Feb. 7, Dorwart and her family traveled to Medford, N.Y., where Cyprus participated in a matriculation ceremony with about 35 other service dogs.

"The matriculation ceremony was full of so many different emotions!" Dorwart recalled. "During the ceremony, we get to see service dogs and their puppy raisers hand over the leash to the individual who got matched with a Canine Companions service dog. This part of the day made everything worth it and was so amazing to see the pure happiness these dogs bring to their forever people!"

Letting go of her furry friend was hard, she said.

"Saying bye to Cyprus was not an easy task. However, I got to meet his trainer, who is going to spend the next six to nine months with him and train him to be the best service dog," she remarked. "We get monthly progress reports, so I am really looking forward to receiving my first one and to check in with how he is doing." During this next phase of training, Cyprus will learn more than 40 advanced commands, working with a professional trainer before being placed with a person in need.

If all goes according to plan, Dorwart and her family will be invited back to his graduation ceremony later this year and will be able to spend time with Cyprus and meet the person he's been matched with.

Even though saying goodbye was difficult, Dorwart encourages anyone with an interest in learning more to consider becoming a puppy raiser.

"Although we obviously get attached to the dog and we raise them for a year and a half, I would encourage everyone to watch a graduation ceremony where individuals are being handed their dog who is going to change their life forever," she said. "It is really eye-opening to see how much of an impact these dogs make, and it is really evident during the graduation ceremony."

Dorwart plans to attend Cyprus' graduation, and she was so happy with her turn as a puppy raiser, she's eager to do it again.

Currently getting ready for her own graduation, she has a busy schedule in the near future, but she's not done with dogs just yet.

"I plan on raising my next Canine Companions puppy once I graduate," she said. "In the future, once I am settled in my career, I would love to have a Canine Companions facility dog to help with my work as a speech language pathologist."

Until then, she's focused on the impact Cyprus will make in the life of someone else.

"It has been an adjustment not having him by my side since he went everywhere with me," she said, "but I know he is doing great things."

To learn more about Canine Companions, visit https://canine.org.