Help Rhettly Become a Service Dog

My daughter, Korbyn, has a Golden Retriever that means the world to her. Rhettly has followed her through college, comforted her when the pandemic had us all feeling isolated, kept her company on the couch when she stressed over homework, and kept her safe on walks through new neighborhoods. He took care of her just as much as she took care of him. Finally, he settled with her into her own house out on my land in the country. Rhettly was also with her when her ex-boyfriend broke into her house in the middle of the night. Rhett watched, stressed and confused, as the man he had known and loved for months assaulted her and forced her out of the house toward her car at gunpoint. She touched Rhettly’s head as she was pushed out the door, and thought it would be the last time she ever gave him a goodbye pat. She was forced to message me and her boss and let us know she would be gone for the day, so no one even knew that she was missing. About 13 hours after she was taken, she finally escaped and was found by police. When I finally got to speak with Korbyn on the phone, Rhettly was one of the first things she asked about. Her house was a crime scene, so I wasn’t allowed to let Rhettly outside. He was stuck in that house all day until a warrant was finally obtained. When the sheriff opened the door, Rhettly stood at the door and barked at the deputies until he saw me, and I took him to my house so the Sheriff could go inside. A week later, she saw Rhettly for the first time since she was kidnapped. Her bruises were healing, and her voice was finally coming back, but I could tell that nothing felt as good to her as his big, sweet nose nudging her hand for pets. I had been taking care of him for her while she recovered, and when I brought him to that first visit, we watched as excitement shook all 100 lbs of his big, fury body. The tension melted from both of them with every tail wag, and with every heavy lean against her leg, I could see the hole in her heart being refilled just a little. She said she never wanted to leave him again. When Korbyn is with Rhettly, she says she doesn't feel so alone. That seems obvious to most people, but after a man she had once known and loved, did what he did to her, her world perception was shattered. We talk about how he wasn’t a stranger she could have steered clear of at a gas station, or a man in a van she could have changed directions to avoid. He was a person that knew where she lived, where she kept her pistol on her nightstand, and that her dog was too sweet and gentle to attack. Unfortunately, now she no longer feels safe anywhere, even if every logical part of her brain tells her that she is in a safe place, or with a safe person. Her sense of peace has disappeared. Recovery from an event like this is a long process, and while we are all so grateful that she does get to recover at all, it is incredibly difficult for her every second of every day. She tells me that even when she thinks she is doing alright, all it takes is a sound, a word, or sometimes just a thought to suck her back to that horrific night, and the long day fighting for her survival that followed it. For her, these PTSD episodes are her greatest struggle. She experiences near constant flashbacks, and when she falls into an episode, it doesn’t matter if she is at work, trying to sleep, or walking down the frozen food aisle at the grocery store— her mind and body relive the event as if it is happening to her all over again. With PTSD, your brain thinks it is actually experiencing the traumatic event again, and it tries to protect you by putting your body into fight or flight mode. For her, her adrenaline skyrockets, her body shakes, her breathing becomes a struggle, and she says she can feel everything she felt that night wherever she is. These episodes are incredibly difficult to get out of or distract herself from and are impossible to keep at bay alone. She has tried every grounding technique she could find, like counting things in a room, or carrying rocks around in her pockets to remind her of her friends or family, but nothing works as well as Rhettly’s sweet head in her hands. Being a mother and having to watch my baby girl go through this is heartbreaking. This is why I’m starting a GoFundMe to get Rhettly trained and certified as a service dog with Dog Training Elite. These classes will help Rhettly be able to go with her everywhere she goes, notice and predict her episodes, and learn techniques to help pull her out of them, some of which include Deep Pressure Therapy (Google images for DPT Dogs and that will cheer you up if this story is hitting you hard) and also how to interrupt behaviors that trigger her. Training Rhett will not only help her, but she thinks it will help him, too. We can see the worry in his big brown eyes, and we think that having a job like this would give him a higher purpose and help him to know how much he is needed and appreciated. We don’t fully know what he went through in that house after she was taken, but we don't want him to ever have to feel helpless again. Also, I want to do everything I can to help my daughter get through this, and I think this will be a great start. Rhettly’s training will cost $3,350, but our goal is $4,500 because of Gofundme fees, as well as certifications and other equipment necessary for Rhett to travel with her anywhere, like registrations, a vest, a seatbelt for the car, and even tools to help keep Rhett clean when there’s adverse weather. (Muddy paws aren’t appreciated by most businesses) Thank you in advance for your contribution, and for taking a moment to read her story. If you cannot donate at this time, please share her story so we can get the word out. You can also check out Dog Training Elite’s services and pricing here: Dog Training Elite Oklahoma Pricing. Dog Training in Tulsa. P.S. As you probably understand, this isn’t a story that was easy for us to tell. Even with the very minimal details here, it is still a difficult task that leaves Korbyn feeling very vulnerable, but she let me tell this story for two reasons. The first is to get her baby trained so that they never have to leave each other again unless they choose to. The second, though, is to bring awareness to the extremity of the struggles of domestic violence victims. There are a few systems in place to help people like her, like Crime Victims Compensation, but research will show you that it is very specific, and only covers so much. Even if it did cover every financial burden this has placed on her shoulders, no amount of compensation can lighten the load of how severe this kind of trauma is. Her entire life was upended and changed forever, and yet there are still bills to pay, work to get done, and a life she is trying to live. A life that she says doesn’t even feel like is hers anymore. I’m hoping that Rhettly can help her try to take her life back and figure out how to feel normal again.

**UPDATE**

We have already surpassed our goal for Rhettly’s training! It was met in just one single day. We are so amazed and thankful for everyone’s generosity, and we feel incredibly blessed by the support we are receiving. Thank you to everyone who donated and shared Korbyn’s story. Because of your compassion, Rhettly will be able to start training right away, and we will try to keep you updated on his progress! We have also decided to leave the gofundme open for now for anyone who would like to donate directly to Korbyn. Any extra funds that are left over after Rhettly’s training and equipment will be used for Korbyn’s safety and security, like a home security system, self-defense classes, and other tools that can help her feel safe while she rebuilds her life. Korbyn asked me to let you know that 10% of all donations past Rhettly’s goal will be redirected to Wings of Hope, an organization that has offered Korbyn help and information that has been vital to her recovery. They are a truly necessary organization, but unfortunately are quite underfunded. If you want to read about how they help survivors, look here: Wings of Hope – Safety. Hope. Empowerment. (wingsofhopeok.com)