Paws For Life USA

On Mother's Day in 2022, at 28 years old, I suffered a stroke while at work waitressing. What we knew then, was my left side was affected - with lack of mobility, balance, sensation -and it would take months of hard work and ongoing therapy to get back some form of my normal life. After two weeks in the hospital and a month at inpatient rehabilitation, I was sent home to continue working in outpatient rehabilitation and to start getting back to my regular life or as close to as possible. That remains my prayer, wish, and goal.

Since getting home, I have been having debilitating panic attacks. This is being caused by the probability of having another major stroke and my fears of what would happen to me and what additional disabilities it would cause.

My Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Mental Health Counselor, and other attending Physicians recommended that I get a Service Dog. The Service Dog will be trained for various medical alerts, as well as in support and assistance in activities of daily life. The Service Dog will also be trained to support me in my mobility and balance issues. The Service Dog will allow me to fully participate in my life. Because of the impact to my mobility/balance and panic disorder I have not been able to live my normal. The Service Dog will be with me 24 hours a day enabling me to live a better life.

A Service Dog will also allow me to return to work at my job at Disney - providing me the assistance and support I need to manage the crowded spaces and slippery surfaces. In my full time job as an elementary school teacher, the Service Dog will allow me to walk in the hallways and stairwells in school without fear of being bumped and knocked over by students or falling.

My Service Dog will come from Paws For Life USA. This is a 501C3 Non-Profit, Georgia Corporation. Their program will not only provide me with a Service Dog, all the training and needed supplies, but will also be with me for additional training and assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the working life of the Service Dog.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.

Paws for Life USA would like to introduce to you one of our newest dog teams, Freddie the Sheepadoodle and his handler, Kelsey Watson.

Kelsey has traveled a rough road in her short 17 years of life. At the tender age of 8, Kelsey was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety. After attempting self-harm at a young age, Kelsey experienced many trials and errors on medications prescribed by her doctors and therapists. As she entered adolescence, Kelsey began seeking solace in drugs and alcohol, exacerbating her symptoms of depression and anxiety and leading to a second self-harm incident in September 2021. While in the emergency room, Kelsey was involuntarily sent to a psychiatric hospital as a minor. Unfortunately, the treatment she received was unsuccessful; a few months later, she was headed down another destructive path.

Thanks to her parents' quick action, Kelsey agreed to go into a teen-based rehabilitation facility in the mountains of North Georgia in May 2022. She spent more than ten weeks doing intensive therapy and self-reflection before becoming more aligned with the person she was before drugs and alcohol.

Kelsey's depression and anxiety will be a part of her life moving forward, but her family is doing everything they can to keep her safe. That's where Freddie enters Kelsey's story! Kelsey's family are self-proclaimed "dog people." After finding Paws for Life USA, Kelsey knew that a psychiatric service dog would be an excellent tool in maintaining her mental and physical health.

Paws for Life USA is a 501c3, all-volunteer charity that provides individuals with disabilities specially trained dogs. The program specializes in Autism, Multipurpose, Mobility, Seizure, Psychiatric, Hearing, Medical, Companion & Therapy Dogs. For a service dog to qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it has to perform specific tasks that will help its handler with everyday tasks. It is not a companion dog!

Kelsey worked hard on herself and her application for a Paws for Life USA service dog and was ecstatic to be chosen to receive Freddie. Freddie is seven months old and will need basic, intermediate and advanced obedience training. Then, obtain the AKC Puppy Star, certificates for each level of achievement, Canine Good Citizen and the final Service Dog Certification. Trainers will work with Freddie individually and in a group with Kelsey and her family. This training takes place over 12-36 months, through private lessons in Marietta, GA, at Kelsey's home and frequently visited locations. Paws for Life USA stays with their Dog Teams for the life of the service dog.

Paws for Life USA is not sponsored by any organization, and fees are associated with the training program that the handler is responsible for. Imagine the difference you can make in Kelsey's life by donating towards Freddie's training!

Freddie will be trained to recognize when Kelsey has missed medication and is headed down a self-destructive path. To help ease Kelsey's anxiety, Freddie will be trained to provide positive pressure to help ground her. Freddie will also intervene if Kelsey is attempting to self-harm. Freddie will never leave Kelsey's side!

Kelsey's life goals are to finish high school and hopes to make theater, specifically the technical side, a career. She has big plans, and Freddie will help her achieve them!

Paws for Life USA website: https://animalsdeservebetter.org