The Service Dog Project raises Great Danes from birth to provide assistance to people with ailments from Multiple Sclerosis to Friedreich’s ataxia, as well as veterans with disabilities. Each dog receives extensive training for balance, and once a dog is paired with an applicant it is uniquely trained to suit the recipient’s needs. Meet one such successful pairing – Annette and Lydia, who give us a unique perspective on working with a service dog.
Annette was suffering and limited in mobility until she met Lydia, her assistant Great Dane. She told us, “Prior to being blessed with Lydia, I had felt such a sense of uncertainty with my mobility. Walking like a drunk, or people seeing me as disabled. Now walking with Lydia by my side, people no longer see “the disability,” they see this big gorgeous, sweet animal, and for those few moments, the “disability” disappears. She gives me peace…I am forever grateful to SDP and all who support them.”
Freed from her uncertainty of mobility, Annette now comfortably navigates terrain that many people take for granted, such as staircases. She sent us a few videos taken from the point of view of a person walking with a Great Dane service dog. Watch one now!
Thank you for sharing your stories and videos with us, Annette! Learn more about the Service Dog Project.
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