Axel’s role in the Michigan Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment is to accompany its ministry work, alongside soldiers in the field and inside Humvees. The 3-year-old Dogo Argentino was born deaf and surrendered to a shelter as a puppy; now he is training with the regiment as it prepares to deploy.
Axel is training with the battalion as it prepares for deployment, according to the New York Post. He wears a vest and collar made for his ministry duties. The Michigan National Guard’s public unit listing is available through DVIDS.
Sgt. Mollie Karazim, a religious affairs specialist with the Michigan National Guard, adopted Axel as a puppy and trained him over several years, according to the New York Post. Since Axel cannot hear spoken commands, Karazim built his training around visual cues and hand signals. He now knows more than 50 commands, some of which are delivered through sign language.
From Shelter Dog to Battalion Member
Karazim had hoped to become a canine handler, but Michigan did not have that role available, so she instead became a religious affairs specialist, the report says. She introduced Axel to unit life gradually, bringing him to events until he showed he could manage them.
Axel had to show he could perform during drill weekends before the unit accepted him. After he did well at unit events, the Michigan National Guard command team supported his participation, and he became a resource for the infantry rather than a distraction, according to the report.
Karazim has described training a deaf dog as different from training a hearing dog and said she built trust with Axel from puppyhood. She called the experience rewarding, the report notes.
A Different Kind of Icebreaker
Karazim works with chaplains and supports hundreds of soldiers from multiple companies. Axel is part of that ministry work: he can help start conversations during counseling sessions and make soldiers more comfortable opening up, according to the New York Post.
The Michigan National Guard shared news of Axel's coming deployment on Facebook and Instagram this past Friday. Axel is not alone among Michigan's four-legged support staff: a black Labrador retriever named Penny also serves as a ministry and resiliency support dog with the Michigan Army National Guard, according to the Hillsdale Daily News. Penny provides emotional support to soldiers during training exercises and events at Fort Custer, working alongside Chaplain Adam Lavigne of the 177th Military Police Brigade Unit Ministry Team, per armyresilience.army.mil.
How Ministry Dogs Differ
The ADA defines service animals as individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability; animals whose sole function is comfort or therapy are not service animals. A separate Michigan Army National Guard example dates to November 2024: according to DVIDS, Penny provided emotional support to soldiers during training exercises and events at Fort Custer. That report describes Penny’s support at training and events, not preparation to deploy with the 125th Infantry Regiment.
Axel’s place in the battalion reflects years of training and gradual integration into unit life. As the regiment finalizes deployment preparations, the dog who was surrendered as a puppy is preparing to go with the soldiers he now serves alongside.
