A Sachem student’s commitment to canines has local officials giving him a round of a-paws.

Tyler Lerman, who recently completed the sixth grade at Samoset Middle School in Ronkonkoma, has volunteered more than 200 hours since winter helping train a future service dog through his school’s Canine Companions Service Club.

The Lake Ronkonkoma boy, 11, was honored this past spring during Suffolk County’s 2025 Youth Awards for his dedication to the club and for having “faced and overcome adversity,” according to the county.

He became involved in the club after his father, Raymond, died in 2022, his family said.

“He has done a complete turnaround,” said Tyler’s mother, Jennifer, who credits the club for lifting her son’s spirits. “He has had a little bit of a rough run, so this club has definitely given him something to look forward to and focus on. As much as he is helping the dog, I feel that the dog had helped him 100 times fold.”

Tyler’s efforts include attending the club’s meetings for a half-hour every day — as well as often arriving early and leaving late to school — to help with the service dog, a black Labrador retriever named Doris V. The dog, which is a year old, is being “puppy raised” by Samoset teacher Laurie Mulhern for about 18 months, according to Tyler.

During the meetings, club members train Doris V in everything from how to sit on command to how to play fetch, he said. Tyler regularly gives up his lunch period to accompany the dog as she visits with special-needs students and has gone with the canine to events such as Samoset’s CommUNITY Celebration, which this spring featured food, live music and arts and crafts.

The club also helps Doris V acclimate to crowds by taking her to locations like the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. Tyler has attended about 95% of those gatherings outside of school, his mother said.

“I love to help out the community and by raising a dog I can help out the community,” Tyler said. Of working with Doris V, he said: “You basically have to give the dog a lot of treats when they do something good.”

Suffolk County Legis. Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), who selected Tyler as her legislative district’s honoree for the county’s Youth Awards, praised the compassionate pupil for his kindness.

“You can tell when a kid has a good heart, and Tyler has a good heart,” Kennedy said in a statement. “To see that much time dedicated to community service at that young of an age is inspiring. Tyler has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.”