Love can take many shapes and forms, but for Patricia Sydow it took the shape of a beautiful Golden Retriever named Skye. Patricia was born with Spina Bifida and has suffered many blood clots, which has led to Patricia using a wheelchair.

Patricia knew she needed help but never felt that she was as disabled as others and did not know if she would even qualify for a service dog. Luckily, she contacted Helping Paws and her life was forever improved.

Patricia now has her loving helper and protector, Skye. Patricia related how before when she was out in public, people would focus on her disability rather than Patricia, the human being. Now, with Skye at her side, they see a beautiful dog and her beautiful owner.

Life with Skye has made Patricia more independent, and she no longer fears the unknown. She ventures out more often and recalls a time at Mall of America where she saw a serviceman who had returned from the war missing both legs. Skye gravitates towards people in wheelchairs, and the serviceman looked at her and smiled. His mother mouthed the words “thank you.” It was the first smile he had shown in a very long time.

Patricia also recalls the loyalty that Skye has demonstrated. When Patricia fell out of her wheelchair trying to get into the shower, she yelled for help but her husband was unable to hear her. Skye came rushing in and sat next to her until help arrived. She would not leave her side.

Patricia spent so much of her life asking “Why me?” Now she believes God put her in this position for a reason—to help educate other people. Patricia was educated as well. She learned about unconditional love in a Golden Retriever named Skye.

Love.

 

The name Keona means “God’s precious gift,” but Nancy often thinks of it as “Helping Paws’ precious gift.” After having Keona only one week, Nancy had already noticed that her arms didn’t ache at night when she went to pull her covers up. The physical work Keona does for her saves her energy so she can do the small things that give her a feeling of independence as well as activities she enjoys, like gardening. 

As a young girl, Nancy had polio, but was fortunate to walk away with full use of her body.  It wasn’t until about 12 years ago that she started to feel some weakening and learned that she has Post-Polio Syndrome, which is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that affects polio survivors. Her “use it or lose it” lifestyle changed dramatically because this diagnosis meant that she now needed to preserve the remaining strength she had. Keona gives Nancy hope that she will be capable for a long time.  

In addition to helping her physically, Keona has enabled a world of social interactions that didn’t exist before. When Nancy used to go out, people would ignore her and she felt invisible. Now people are drawn to Keona and don’t hesitate to come up and say hi to both her and Nancy. Nancy feels like people see her rather than the disability.

In an emergency, Keona has proven her ability to think beyond her trained commands.  After her scooter got stuck in the mud while on vacation, Nancy let Keona off-leash and told to her to go get her husband, Mike. Keona ran to the condo they had been staying at and went past the entry door to the glass patio door to get Mike’s attention. He saw her and followed her back to Nancy to help her get unstuck. Pretty amazing for a dog who had just graduated a couple of months before and who had never been taught this command!

If Nancy could describe her life with Keona in one word, that word would be assurance.

Assurance that Nancy is physically doing better than she was before Keona entered her life.  Assurance that Keona will do what’s asked of her.  Assurances of a good time every day!

Assurance.

When you’re disabled and rely on others for your care, you are surrounded by people, often 24 hours a day. But having a care provider present is different from having a friend by your side to hang out with. This thought led Connie, Micky’s mother, to apply to Helping Paws for a service dog for Micky.

“I wanted Micky to have someone that was there just for her. Someone that wasn’t paid to be there; someone that would always be with her no matter how often the staff of caregivers changed. I was hoping a dog would be a companion to fill a void in her life and provide her with that consistent friendship,” Connie said.

Micky, who is legally blind and has multiple disabilities, was first matched with Amos, a big and beautiful Golden Retriever, in 1998. He served her faithfully for 14 years. Amos also amazed the family when he protectively put himself between Micky and a stranger that came into her house uninvited, scaring the man away.

“Amos was always there for Micky and was so happy to be with her,” Connie said. “His tail was always wagging and everyone loved him. Amos gave Micky someone to care for.”

After Amos passed away, Micky’s life and house became quiet and lonely. So when the possibility to get another dog arose, Micky and her family jumped at the chance. And Kaia, a Black Labrador, entered Micky’s life as a companion dog in the spring of 2011.

Helping Paws companion dogs are fully trained and have all the same skills as other service dogs; the difference is that the dog and recipient must be accompanied when in public by another person to help with handling the dog.  

“Micky and Kaia shared an instant connection and they have grown into an awesome team,” said Connie. “Kaia turns on Micky’s light in the morning and then proceeds to nuzzle Micky’s face and hands to wake her up.”

“This has been a whole new adventure as Kaia has a fun-loving personality,” Connie said. “Kaia keeps us on our toes. She makes Micky’s life fun and worth living.”

Mischievous.

 

Many people don’t understand how their comments and actions toward someone with a disability can be insulting or even hurtful.

Melanie’s Helping Paws service dog, Dylan, supported her in the face of such discrimination. “When I went from walking to wheeling due to an accident, many changes followed, and some of them were social,” Melanie related. “People stared at me; some talked about me as if I weren’t present. Some store clerks also went so far as to count my change into my hand as they assumed that since I couldn’t walk, I also couldn’t count. Dylan’s constant presence and love gave me a safe place to go when faced with discrimination. And of course, when I dropped something, he picked it up.”

Dylan also transformed the way people interacted with Melanie when he was by her side. “I would still see the pity or surprise in their faces, but our exchange was transformed as people focused on Dylan. He served as the ultimate distraction for people who, upon seeing me, found themselves unexpectedly confronting their mortality and our shared human fragility. Instead of asking me intrusive questions, these same people asked about Dylan instead.”

One time when Melanie was hospitalized, the Helping Paws staff helped take care of Dylan so he could stay with Melanie in the hospital. “I was never alone for a moment because Dylan was with me during those difficult times. And he was with me because of the Helping Paws staff,” Melanie explained.

Living in a house with stairs, Melanie kept one wheelchair at the top and another wheelchair at the bottom. She would pull herself up and down the stairs and transfer into her wheelchair after arriving at the top or bottom. “Dylan would pass me on the stairs to wait at the top and would “brace” so that I could pull myself up from the landing and transfer into my chair safely. He actually jumped for joy when I was settled back in my chair,” she laughed.

Dylan and Melanie were matched in 1999 and traveled together every day for nine years before he retired due to health reasons. Dylan passed away in 2011 but he changed Melanie’s life while with her. “His presence restored my dignity and he carried my courage in his heart,” Melanie said.

Dignity.

When Jim realized his disability—a rare neuromuscular disease in the ALS category—was not only limiting his own independence, but also that of his family, who felt that someone always had to be with him, he decided to apply for a service dog.

“With a bit of trepidation, I entered the process,” Jim said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but once you surround yourself with the folks from Helping Paws, you are sold and it becomes very comfortable. There’s a reason they’ve been around for 25 years—they are just simply the best and removed any doubts that I had,” Jim concluded.

Jim was matched with Piton, a Chocolate Lab, in the fall of 2010, and his life immediately changed for the better. Before Piton, Jim was feeling isolated. The strange disease that was overtaking his life made him feel alone with his thoughts and fears. Piton became a great distraction, and put a smile on his face.

Piton has enhanced Jim's life in all of the ways he expected, by retrieving things, opening doors, and turning on lights. But the biggest enhancement was unexpected; Piton and Jim have simply become good friends. Piton knows when Jim is having a bad day and when he needs encouragement to get up and get on with his life.

The most memorable time Piton was there to help was when Jim fell into a snow bank after a big winter storm. “My arms weren’t of any use to me and I started to panic. I called Piton over and grabbed his collar and told him ‘Tug.’ This got me into a sitting position. Then I asked Piton to ‘Brace’ and I was able to lean on him to get myself upright. Without Piton, I would have been stuck in that snow bank for a long time!” Jim said.

Jim introduces Piton to everyone he meets as, “my friend.”

“A good friend is always there for you and will do anything for you in your time of need,” Jim said.

Friend.

We’ve heard how Helping Paws service dogs have saved the lives of their partners after being matched with them for some time.  But Jodi’s first golden retriever, Maggie, saved her life even before they were officially matched as a team.

“I felt my life was pathetic and worthless,” said Jodi, as she struggled with being in an unhealthy relationship and living in less than ideal conditions. “I became depressed and had gotten to the point I wanted to end my life,” she said. Jodi, who has a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, has never walked, and uses a power wheelchair to get around.

“The phone rang as I was heading out the door thinking I would drive my wheelchair into the river because I knew there was nobody that was going to love me,” Jodi said. “The call was from Helping Paws telling me I had been matched with Maggie May. I shrieked! And was so happy! I went out on my walk thinking of all the places I could now go with my new dog,” Jodi recalled.

Out of all the dogs that Jodi had met and worked with during the matching process, Maggie seemed to sense things about her that the other dogs did not. “She knew to bring things to my right hand because my left hand doesn’t work very well. All the other dogs would drop it, which was frustrating,” Jodi said. They spent the next seven years together and Maggie made Jodi's life so much better.

When Maggie died, Jodi applied for another service dog and was placed with Juni. The bond was forged the instant Juni snuggled her head onto Jodi's shoulder. "I felt a connection between us as she chose me in that moment, and my life has been changed for the better!"

The bond Jodi shares with Juni is unbelievable. Whenever Jodi is having a bad day or has a migraine or body ache, the love Juni gives her makes it all disappear like nothing is wrong or painful. That is why, to Jodi, Juni is unconditional love.

Love.

 
 

Twenty-five years ago, Joe was one of the first people to apply to Helping Paws for a service dog. He had to wait over two years before a dog was ready, and was finally paired with Kirby in 1990. “I was younger then and trying to figure out how to live life on my own,” Joe said. “Kirby helped me do that.”

Kirby served Joe, who has cerebral palsy, faithfully for 11. Shortly after Kirby’s death in 2001, Joe was paired with his second Helping Paws service dog, Lambeau.

Lambeau improves Joe’s life tremendously and Lambeau by retrieving things that Joe drops or opening doors. But Lambeau also improves Joe's life like nothing else could, because Lambeau is always there.

Over the years, Joe has come to realize that it's not just about what Lambeau can do for him, but what Lambeau means to him. Lambeau and Joe have a symbiotic relationship. “Without each other, neither of us could do what we need to do,” Joe says.

“It's not that he is the one reason I get up in the morning, but if I don't get up in the morning, then Lambeau doesn't get his walk.” In the beginning, he would hear people on the street say ‘there goes the guy with the dog,’ and that would bother him because he didn't want to be defined by it. But now Joe wears that title like a badge of honor. “They're talking about you, bud,” Joe tells Lambeau.

Two years ago Joe needed surgery on his neck due to a slipped disc, and shortly after that he had an unrelated stroke. The only thing on Joe’s mind during his post-surgery rehabilitation was Lambeau. It was Lambeau that helped him get through the recovery process. It wasn’t so much that Joe wanted to get healthy to be home having Lambeau help him; Joe wanted to get healthy so that he could be home to care for Lambeau.

If Lambeau isn't constantly by Joe’s side, it feels like a part of him is missing. Joe can’t imagine himself without his Helping Paws service dog, Lambeau.

Best-Friend.

 

Claudia suffers from MS and Diabetes, and always wanted the companionship of a service dog, but truly believed there were far more people in need than she. Claudia went to several meetings with Helping Paws and learned that in fact she was eligible. She met a variety of service dogs in training on her quest for the perfect companion, but when Koda came into the room, their eyes locked and it was a connection that would be forever forged.

Koda is a large, beautiful Golden Retriever, with an innate sense of how to help. Claudia and Koda have been partners for over 4 years. He has a mischievous personality and loves to retrieve the mail. He is rewarded with a treat for the mail delivery, so he began delivering  the mail one piece at a time to capitalize on the goodies! He also rips the junk mail in half.

Koda has enabled Claudia to live more independently. In addition to retrieving dropped items, Koda is there to brace for Claudia as she stands up from a sitting position. Claudia notes that it is easy to become isolated when suffering from a chronic illness. She was very introverted, but Koda has enabled her to become more open as she shares him with the community.

Claudia and Koda visit Abbot Northwestern Hospital on Wednesdays to see and chat with the chemo patients. There are usually 30 to 40 people there who light up when Koda arrives. One woman expressed her gratitude by saying that although she felt fear, when she saw Koda she felt comforted. A smile appeared and Claudia was amazed that Koda could have such a profound effect on others.

Claudia also recalls a terrifying evening where she had an insulin reaction. Koda woke her up and guided her into the bathroom. The most amazing part of the story is that Koda was never trained to do that. He once again demonstrated his innate sense of how to assist.

If there were one word that Claudia could use to express what her “Big Red Knucklehead” means to her, it would be motivational. As Claudia so aptly stated it, “He moves me beyond my little world.” She is forever thankful to Helping Paws.

Motivational.

 

“One hot summer day a couple of years ago I fell transferring into my wheelchair out in the garage,” Chuck said. “Echo knew I was in distress. Although she didn’t want to leave my side, she knew I needed help. Every time a car would approach the stop sign located near the end of my driveway, she would run down to the road, then run back into the garage, trying to get the attention of people driving by. When a couple of kids stopped at the stop sign, Echo’s running back and forth got their attention. Then they noticed me lying on the garage floor and came and helped me up,” Chuck explained. 

“It is that consistent and loyal help that she gives me every day that makes me confident to go out and live my life,” Chuck said.

Chuck, who was diagnosed with MS in 2001, was matched with Echo, a Golden Retriever, in 2005. “All I know is that I could not be as independent as I am without her. Echo is my best friend and we have a bond that is so tight that it is very difficult for us to not be in the same room together. She has always been there for me, even when friends and family may have let me down,” Chuck said.

Echo, who will be 10 years old this summer, does many little things for Chuck that add up to a lot. With Chuck’s MS, getting undressed can be a challenge, but not so much with Echo around to help. At night he appreciates her getting his pillow when it falls on the floor and bringing it to him in bed. And of course, Echo is also right there if Chuck needs a hug.

 “The confidence that I have is gone when she is not with me. When Echo is with me, I know that help is only a word away,” Chuck said.

Confidence.

Chuck says that the most surprising thing about having a service dog is everything that Echo does for him. “I’ve had dogs all of my life but had no idea that a service dog could mean so much to a person. My life definitely would not be the same without her,” Chuck said.

“The companionship, the help, and the unquestionable love makes me say wow every day. For an animal to be so smart, so loyal, so happy to work, so loving, amazes me beyond belief.

One of the first commands the Helping Paws service dogs in-training learn is the command “watch.” This is used to get their attention and helps them focus on their partner. For Angie, it is this watching, loyalty and devotion by her service dog, Milo, that won her heart.

Angie, who has a progressive neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, has been partnered with Milo for six years, and he quickly became her devoted partner. “I’ve lived 27 years of my life without a service dog and only six years with one, but I can’t remember what it was like not to have Milo,” Angie said. 

“Milo has changed my life in too many ways to count: the social barriers he breaks down, the reassurance of picking something up that I may drop, and the comic relief from his goofy personality,” Angie said. And maybe even more important is the realization that the devotion in their partnership goes both ways. “When you have another life that you are responsible for, it is hard to become too self-centered,” Angie concludes. 

Milo’s devotion to Angie was tested in 2009. She was alone in her apartment and fell out of her wheelchair while transferring into bed. Angie recalls, “I ended up breaking my femur during the fall and couldn't reach my phone to call for help. Milo could not get it for me due to where it was sitting.  I had a lifeline alert pendant, but of course it was hanging out of my reach on my wheelchair instead of around my neck where it should have been. I yelled for help to no avail. I had Milo start barking and still no one responded.  So I grabbed on to Milo's collar and gave him the commands, ‘tug’ and ‘back’ hoping he could pull me over to my lifeline pendant. After 90 minutes of working at it, Milo had moved me across the floor so I could reach it and call for help. Without Milo, who knows how long I would have lain there before someone came looking for me.”

For Angie, one of the most surprising things about Milo is the connection they have with one another. “It's like having a furry soul mate,” Angie laughs.

Devotion.

As the first recipient of the first service dog trained by Helping Paws, a Golden Retriever named Alpha, Jenny knows one thing for certain. “I will always have a service dog. I’ve had a service dog for over half my life and feel incomplete without that presence by my side,” Jenny said.

Jenny, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a skiing accident at age 17, received Alpha when she was 23 years old. Jenny worked closely with Eileen Bohn, Director of Programs for Helping Paws, to figure out what service dog skills would most benefit someone with a physical disability. Eileen, Jenny and Alpha also did hundreds of demonstrations in an effort to raise awareness and funding for the newly formed nonprofit. Jenny worked as Executive Director and Director of Development for Helping Paws from 1998 to 2004.


Following Alpha’s death in 1997, Jenny received Poobah, another Golden Retriever who worked with her until 2001. Then Jenny was matched with Billy, her third Golden. Billy served Jenny faithfully until his death in 2011. It was a long nine months before Jenny got matched with her latest service dog, Aster, a yellow Labrador Retriever, in April 2012. Jenny said, “I was not used to being without a dog. It was the companionship that I missed the most. I wasn’t alone in the world, but I was lonely. It’s a love that is like no other.”

Now partnered with her fourth service dog from Helping Paws, Jenny appreciates the uniqueness of each of them. “They each bring their own personalities and they each have so much to teach us,” Jenny said.

“Alpha saved my life every day in small ways—he got me out into the world. Poobah was the smartest dog I ever had and taught me to be so much more aware of my surroundings. I had to try to figure things out before she did,” Jenny laughed. “And Billy taught me a lot about how to motivate. I was able to understand how the positive reinforcement methods that we use with our dogs, can also work well with people,” Jenny said.

 And although she has been with her new dog, Aster, for just a few weeks, Jenny says things are going well. “This is the first lab that I have had and she is a lot smaller, which is nice. She is the most lovable dog and is delightful,” Jenny said.

“Helping Paws is an amazing program and I am eternally grateful. No words can really describe it. My experience with these dogs has been priceless. They have always been there for me and always will be with a capital A,” Jenny said.

Always.

After learning that her employer would be relocating to a building with more obstacles than she was comfortable handling alone, Janice reached out to Helping Paws.  Soon after, she received her first service dog, Kona, who enabled Janice to continue to work for several more years.

Kona has met all of Janice’s expectations for being able to help her with her physical needs.  The icing on the cake and what’s surprised Janice the most is his ability to cheer people up and heal them. It seems as though Kona is sharing with the world all of the positive reinforcement and love he was given as a puppy. Just the sight of him can stop people in their tracks and make them smile. Janice feels so blessed to be able to watch Kona lift peoples’ spirits right before her eyes!

She has also witnessed his healing powers go beyond casual glances and smiles.  Over a lunch hour, an attorney came into Janice’s courtroom looking for Kona. He asked to pet him and went on to explain how rough his morning had been. In an environment of formalities and law, he needed a moment to be with a dog that could heal him in a way that no human could. Awhile later, he left the office confident the rest of his day would be better.

A deliberate act of healing occurred when Kona left Janice’s side to go up to a woman neither of them knew. The woman touched him and talked sweet to him for a while and before walking away, she told Janice that she had just lost her black lab to a sudden illness but Kona had brightened her day. Somehow he knew that she needed him. 

In one word: heart.

Because there are so many people at Helping Paws with big hearts, Kona is in Janice’s life.  Heart describes all of the people who have built the foundation for the program and who keep it alive. As Janice says, Kona is who he is because “His foster dad, Dan Erhard, raised him with such love and an open heart that Kona now carries that big heart around and puts it into  everything he does and everywhere we go. That is the core of Kona…and he melts hearts wherever he goes.”

Heart.

Mark is a 27-year-old young man who has Down Syndrome. He loves to be called "handsome." Mark and his friend Patti were the first two children to be mainstreamed in the South St Paul School system. He took Elsa for a visit to Lincoln Center, his grade school. Some of Mark's former teachers were still teaching there. They all came to the office to meet his Elsa. He was so proud to show her off. Mark went to the Tesa program at the VoTech and now is working at ProAct. 
 
Mark started going to Special Olympics when he was 8 years old. He participates in bowling, softball, poly hockey, track and field, and basketball. He has made a lot of friends, but he isn't one to pick up the phone and make plans to go out to eat or to a movie or bowling. He says, “I shy, I nervous.” In fact, he doesn't even answer the phone unless you tell him to. He would rather play video games all day long. Elsa goes along with Mark to all his practices.  
 
Mark's Dad and I thought and thought about applying for a special dog for a special son. Mark's Special Olympics team manager has a companion dog, Mary, that didn't quite make the service dog training but is a great companion dog. She encouraged us to apply—in fact, she encouraged us for years and years. Then I saw on Facebook that our niece, Jody Halvorson, was training Splash for Helping Paws. She told me that Helping Paws trains dogs for physically handicapped people. But one day she emailed that there was a companion dog available, so we applied for Mark. Mark didn't receive that dog, but received Elsa. I still cannot believe Mark has such a wonderful companion in Elsa.
 
It took quite a while on Sue and Maureen's part to help Mark and Elsa become such good friends. Maureen came out to our house many, many times with Elsa. Each time they left I thought, well, we did accomplish one thing today, or sometimes it was many things. And then I thought about the foster family and how many trips they made to our city from where they live. And I thought of the devotion of all these people who are now a part of Mark's life. 
 
I asked Mark what he likes about Elsa. Here is part of the list:
 
“She like me, she love me, she my best friend, I like to play with her and pet her, she is a good dog, I think she's happy, I like doing tricks with her, I like taking her for a bath (grooming), she feels clean, she miss me at work (meaning she misses him when he goes to work) she smiles, her nose wiggles, she beautiful.”
 
Mark feeds Elsa every morning before he has breakfast, and he feeds her every night at 4:00 p.m. A few times when we were out and about, he said “It's 4:00—time to go home and feed Elsa!”
 
We took Elsa this past weekend to the Area 12 track and field meet for Special Olympics. This was definitely a test for Mark and Elsa. Elsa was wonderful—so many athletes and people came up to greet Elsa and Mark. Elsa was perfect and so was Mark. Elsa was definitely the ice-breaker for Mark to be able to meet new people.  
 
When the weather is nice, we usually sit outside and wait for Mark to get home. Elsa can hear the bus coming around the corner and runs to the gate. She loves greeting Mark when he comes home.  
 
Oh—the most important thing—Elsa talks to Mark! She tells him she misses him, to get better when he is sick, and that she is worried about him when he is sick. Does your dog talk to you?  [Laughing out loud!]

The bond between Mark and Miss Elsa Golden Paws is becoming stronger and stronger. Elsa loves to go out and about with Mark. So far she has been (with permission) to poly hockey practice at the grade school, Mark's doctor's office, Mark's dermatologist, track and field meets, softball games, several pet stores, the bank, and Mark's work, just to name a few. She also goes for walks with Mark.  
 
Elsa is just wonderful, more than I ever, ever imagined. I cannot believe how much Mark and Elsa have bonded since she first visited our home.  

Bond.

– Mark's mom, Gale  

As a single mom, Deb was used to being independent. Even with a progressive, disabling neurological disorder that causes weakness in the legs and pain with movement, she and her son managed quite well.

But in 2000, Deb’s condition worsened and started to affect her ability to work and care for her son, then 8-years-old. She applied to Helping Paws for a service dog and received Archie, a Golden Retriever. They were the first service dog team in the St. Cloud area and broke new ground educating people and businesses about service dog laws.

When Archie died from a spleen tumor in 2006, Deb immediately applied for a replacement dog and was matched with Trixie, another beautiful Golden Retriever. Trixie helps Deb in many ways, doing things like closing drawers, turning lights on and off and bringing Deb’s shoes to her when she is getting dressed in the morning.

“Trixie and I have a special bond,” Deb said. “Somehow she just knows when I am having a bad day and need extra encouragement. Trixie cheers me up with a “snuggle”, which is one of her favorite commands,” Deb says.

One of the best examples of how Trixie helps Deb occurred last year on a cold, wintry day. Deb slipped and fell on the ice outside of her home. She was alone and the temperatures were well below freezing. Unable to stand or get up by herself, Deb knew the situation was serious. “I called Trixie to me and using the “brace” command and her solid, unwavering support, I was able to stand up. There’s no saying how bad things could have gone if I didn’t have Trixie there to help me,” Deb said.

 Deb's son will soon be moving to college, leaving Deb an “empty-nester.” However, Deb is not worried about living alone because she knows Trixie will be by her side providing both physical and emotional support. Deb's disability is constantly changing, and Trixie is ready to change with it. Along with love and affection, Trixie gives Deb what she most desires... Independence

Not only do Helping Paws service dogs change the lives of the people who receive them, they also change the lives of the volunteer foster homes who train them. This is particularly true for Jane, who has trained two service dogs.

Jane trained her first service dog, Rue, in 2002 and found the outcome deeply fulfilling. “I was inspired by my intimate connection to the heart and soul of this animal, who was going to provide life supporting skills for a person with a physical disability. For me it was life changing. Knowing that I helped shape this service dog, teaching her the skills that would provide someone with a greater sense of independence, was deeply fulfilling,” Jane said.

Jane started training her second service dog, Cedar, in 2005. However, around one-and-a-half years of age, it became apparent Cedar was not suited to become a service dog due to some fears that she could not overcome. However Cedar’s training and hard work was put to good use as she became a certified Facility Dog, working alongside Jane at Courage Center, a physical rehabilitation center.

Cedar brought a sense of calm, care and normalcy to people struggling to recover from a recent injury or those born with a disability. Even staff members would seek her out to receive a snuggle or just to pet her as a means of reducing the stress in their day.

“She became very proficient at reading people’s emotions. She sat with people through their anger, tears and joyous moments and unconditionally provided comfort and support as she rested her head in their laps,” Jane said.

Jane relates how Cedar almost became a sponge, soaking up the anger and fear of people dealing with difficult and life-changing trauma and illness. Cedar would nudge someone’s arm until they would pet her. “It was an incredible experience to witness the unconditional moment of healing that Cedar facilitated in so many people,” Jane relates.

Cedar continues to have an impact on people as she works with Jane in her current position providing Hospice Care through North Memorial. River, a Golden Retriever, has also joined Jane’s household. River is in the Helping Paws breeding program and she will have her second Helping Paws litter this year.

While a service dog changes the life of the individual they are matched to serve, sometimes a service dog also changes the lives of many, including their foster home trainer. So it was with Cedar, who Jane describes as a divine presence.

Divine.

It is extremely difficult to have your doctor give you a diagnosis of ALS, a degenerative nerve disease. But Jack realized, after meeting another ALS patient whose life was improved by her service dog, that a Helping Paws service dog would ease the transition over time, especially as he started losing strength in his arms and legs.

He was matched with Credo in 2006 and immediately saw how smart the dog was and how much Credo could do for him.

“Somehow, Credo just knows exactly what I need,” Jack said. That might be retrieving a dropped item or coming to the right side of Jack’s chair to be petted, as that is the arm Jack has strength enough to pet Credo with.

“Because I have him, I now know all of my neighbors, and their dogs,” Jack laughed. “Before I had Credo I didn’t know any of them. He has done a lot to bring us closer to the people around us.”

One time when Jack and Credo were out by themselves for a walk, Credo’s leash became wrapped around Jack’s wheelchair tires and they were immobilized. There Jack sat wondering what to do. He knew he needed assistance, but no one could hear him calling. He gave Credo a command that all the dogs are trained for, “Go get help!” Credo went and found a jogger on a nearby trail, who could tell by Credo’s pack and behavior, that he wanted the jogger to follow him. Credo led the man to Jack. “I was never worried about Credo coming back with help,” Jack said, “He is too loyal to leave me.”

Credo means “I believe” in Latin and Jack says, “I believe Credo is a gift to me from God, by way of some very dedicated Helping Paws volunteers.” He is extremely thankful to Credo’s trainers and to Helping Paws for changing his life for the better.

“I am living longer than my doctors expected,” Jack explained. “I believe part of the reason is the unconditional love I get from Credo. He is a light in my life.”

Angel.

Over the course of the past 19 years Shirley credits the two Helping Paws Labrador Retrievers service dogs she has had for saving her life – not once, not twice, but at least three times…

Shirley got her first dog, Botzi, in 1993. “I had been a vet tech and raised and trained German Shepherds, but lost my job when my illness (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder) and several accidents caused me to become worse,” Shirley explained. I had to live in a nursing home and hated it. I was depressed and hopeless. “It wasn’t until I saw someone in physical therapy with a service dog that I realized that would be how I could get my life back.”

Shirley applied to Helping Paws and got matched with Botzi. Her doctors deemed Shirley independent enough to move into her own home. She felt herself getting back on track. That was the first time Shirley’s life was saved.

Botzi served Shirley faithfully for 12 years, but was slowing with age. Knowing she could not live independently without a service dog, Shirley applied for a replacement dog and got matched with Pride in the fall of 2005.

One evening, when both the retired Botzi, and her new service dog for only six weeks, Pride, were with her, Shirley fainted and fell out of her wheelchair. Botzi ran to get Shirley’s housemate, who was sleeping. Botzi barked and jumped on the bed to wake her. Meanwhile, Pride reacted to Shirley’s respiratory failure by barking, jumping on her and licking her face. The housemate arrived and called 9-1-1. Shirley says, “If it wasn’t for Pride jumping on me and keeping me awake, and Botzi going for help, I wouldn’t be here today. Thank goodness both dogs were here to save me.” Botzi passed away three weeks later.

Without any formal training, Pride has learned to alert when Shirley’s blood sugar becomes dangerously low, particularly at night when Shirley is sleeping. Without prompting, Pride will go and wake Shirley’s roommate to help her. Pride has done this more than once…. Saving Shirley’s life a third time.

Pride’s full name is Pride and Joy. Shirley thinks this is appropriate as, “She brings me joy and is the joy of my life. I would not have my life, but for her.”

Joy.

As a two-and-a-half year-old yellow Lab ready to graduate, Emma had met several potential “matches” and just was not matching with anyone. The staff at Helping Paws was stumped. She was a smart dog and well-trained, but she just wasn’t responding to anyone they tried her with. They decided to try again—this time with Mary.

Coping with Multiple Sclerosis, Mary was hoping for a dog who could help her keep her balance, prevent falls and retrieve dropped items.  The Helping Paws staff felt they had nothing to lose. Amazing everyone, Emma responded perfectly; she had found her match! Together for seven years now, Emma and Mary are inseparable.

Although not trained for it, Emma can detect when Mary’s blood sugar drops too low, or goes too high and alerts Mary to the condition. If Mary forgets to put her insulin pump back on after a shower, Emma notices and brings it to her.

One day when Mary was having an asthma attack and couldn’t breathe or speak, Emma knew to “go get help” without being given the command. She went and got Mary’s husband who called 911 and help arrived in time. “Without Emma knowing to do that on her own, I may have laid there and died,” Mary said. “Emma literally saved my life.”

“Her happy thumping-tail wakes me in the morning. She is by my side all day. Emma prefers me to sit in the loveseat instead of the recliner so there is room for her to get up and be next to me. Emma is happiest when she can physically be touching me. Some days my physical therapy consists of me reaching out to pet Emma and that is all the arm strength I have. It is truly a healing touch for both of us,” Mary explained.

Emma likes to sleep at the foot of Mary’s bed to be nearby if Mary needs something in the night. If Emma is out in the yard playing with Mary’s grandchildren, she frequently runs back to the door where Mary is watching to make sure that Mary is ok.

“I can’t imagine life without her,” Mary said.

Inseparable.

The dictionary defines heart as: 1) the center of emotion, 2) the capacity for sympathy 3) the center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition or emotion 4) the pump like organ of blood circulation that resides in the chest. For Tami it is heart that describes what her service dog, Cody, meant to her after faithfully serving her for 8 years. Not only did Cody seem to know exactly what Tami needed, but he used his heart and intuition to help others that needed him as well.

Tami, a paraplegic, recalls, “One time Cody and I did a demo at a prison. I sat next to a guy named Tom. Cody never left me for anyone, but that day he got up and laid in front of Tom and put his head on Tom’s feet. A few days later I got a letter from Tom that said, ‘I have been in prison for 25 years and I have never felt as free as I did today when your dog put his head on my feet.’ Cody just knew in his heart that Tom was hurting and needed his love.”

As a special education teacher, Tami would also take Cody to school with her and daily saw the impact he had on her students. “Some of the kids in my class were non-verbal and could have explosive behavior,” Tami recalls. “But if they could touch Cody or look into his eyes, they would be able to calm themselves.” Everyone in the school knew and loved Cody.

Cody passed away last summer and as her first service dog Tami didn’t think she would ever be able to open herself to having another service dog. But she misses the retrieving Cody did for her, the confidence he gave her when going out in public and knowing she could count on him for anything, even pulling her in her wheelchair through some deep snow that she could not manually push herself through – a skill he was never officially trained for.

“Nothing is the same without Cody,” Tami said, “and I know I could never replace him. But I am considering applying for another dog. I think my own heart has healed enough that I am ready.”

Heart.

In 2006 we met Jack Maypark and his Helping Paws service dog, Credo at church.  Dave immediately fell in love with the dog and so started our journey to being matched with Margie.  It was a long process.  Because of Dave’s stroke, he was not able to respond to the dogs immediately.  So finding the right dog was a challenge and Helping Paws had to decide what type of placement would work. As Dave was working with Margie, he remembered an old song about a Margie and sang it to her while they motored around the floor, so the staff felt this was a sign that Margie was to be Dave’s dog.  They were right. She was a perfect fit. 

I went through the training with Dave and in October 2009, Margie was placed in our home as a skilled companion dog/service dog.  Whenever Margie was out in public, where dogs were not normally allowed, I had to be along with Dave and Margie.  Initially I was apprehensive about getting the dog.  All I could think of was “another thing that I had to keep track of, feed and care for”.  It didn’t take long for Margie to win over both of us.  How can you not love a dog that is always smiling and wagging her tail? 

The first year, Margie went everywhere with us.  In the summer we took her out on the pontoon boat and found an area for her to go swimming and chase her ball.  She loves the water.  She went along to the cabins we rented in the Wisconsin State Parks for people with disabilities.  In the winter, she buried her balls in the snow drifts, so we had to change to chasing Frisbees when there was snow on the ground.  We live in a condo and all of the neighbors loved watching her jump and run through the snow drifts.  Margie was always there for Dave, greeting him when he got up in the morning, picking things up when he dropped them and providing that unconditional love that only a dog can provide.

In April, 2011 Dave ended up in the hospital and was unable to return home, and so was placed in a nursing home.  Margie visited every day.  She brought cheer to all of the residents/patients who saw her, as well as the staff.  We had requests to visit other people which Margie just loved to do.  An elderly man in the hospital reached out his hand to pet her and his daughter remarked that was the only response they had gotten out of him for days.  Margie brightened Dave’s remaining days and she was in the hospital when he died on July 9, 2011.  One of the RN’s in the hospital, who has therapy dogs, told me about Therapy Dog International.  The volunteer coordinator for the hospital asked me to get Margie certified as a therapy dog, so she could join their therapy dog program.  In October, Margie started therapy dog classes.  She is passing everything with flying colors, thanks to all the training Helping Paws volunteers put into her.  With the advent of 2012, Margie will start her new career as a certified therapy dog.  Through all of this she has been there for me also, providing that unconditional love.  Many days she was the thing that kept me going, got me out of bed in the morning. Thank you to all of the Helping Paws staff and volunteers who make this program possible. You definitely have made a difference in our lives.

Written by Sharon Thobaben