ADA Rights, Agoraphobia, Anxiety, Experience, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

Service Dog is Harassed by Police

Service Dog is Harassed by Police: Please watch the video.

It happened at the home of our client, Gilbert, one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. He has a Service Dog that is fully trained name “Solea”. I helped train her. Gilbert had severe agoraphobia, and Solea has helped him start to live a normal life. The police showed up at the door as Gilbert’s mother was coming home. They were searching for Gilbert’s sister, who had a warrant for her arrest. She does not even live with Gilbert and his mother. Gilbert said there were 6 officers there, all with guns pointed. He posted it on youtube, and sent it to us. It made me cry. You can bet the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office will be hearing from me. We responded to Gilbert and asked him the following questions, and here are Gilbert’s replies:

1. What emotions were you going through during the encounter and after the encounter? Gilbert – “I was extremely upset/scared/nervous for us – me and Solea – before we could even step out.”

2. How did Solea help you cope? Gilbert – “She helped me stay as calm as I could under the circumstances of me almost losing her to the ignorance of these officers.”

3. What happened to you and Solea once you exited the home; ie – how did the officers treat you and Solea after the incident? Gilbert – “After we exited the house, a Captain continued to harass and verbally attack me, once again, Solea begins to bark because she can sense my anxiety and she’s protecting me; we have to remember these deputies had guns out and were wearing black vests outside their clothes.” Ironically – the Lieutenant that was the last to leave “apologized” for the Captain’s behavior.

4. How many people were outside your home and in what capacity? Gilbert: “There were 6 officers – all had their weapons drawn and pointed at us.”

5. Who was at home with you and Solea? Gilbert: “My mom and brother.”

There will be more footage of this tomorrow. Apparently, a detective had been out the day before and scoured the home, and was completely aware of the fact that Solea was a Service Dog. Gilbert is filing a complaint against the Captain that continued to harass him and Solea afterward, and is going to press criminal charges for harassment of a Service Dog and Service Dog handler, as well as a code that Gilbert looked up that states that in the state of Texas, if a Service Dog is Harassed or hurt in any way, the person responsible for that action is responsible for any rehabilitation that the Service Dog needs after this traumatization. Gilbert said that Solea is definitely showing signs of trauma.

I think this is definitely worth pressing charges for and alerting the media. Gilbert is handling it, despite his severe anxiety, like a true professional. I am so proud of him. – Laurie

Anxiety, Experience, Houston, PTSD, Texas

Cole and Aurora

A truly amazing update from our trainer, Kendra, who is working with beautiful Cole. Cole’s dear mother wrote:

“My 17 year old daughter, Cole, was diagnosed with severe social anxiety disorder when she was 14 years old. Once we understood the disorder, it became clear that it had started around age 11. Cole is high functioning around adults, but started having panic attacks around her peer group. She worked intensively with 3 professionals and has made great progress, but still has a ways to go. Cole lost her Dad to melanoma when she was 6 years old. That same year we lost her only uncle and grandpa. All the men in our life within 6 months. Cole was bullied at school during this time. Although she handled it well – she started showing signs of PTSD and OCD. In hind sight, Cole’s Dad suffered from social anxiety and some OCD too. Cole thinks everyone in her life is going to die any time she is not with them. Since I am the only one left – she still has anxiety if I leave the house without her or vice versa. If she goes in a public place and it is all adults, she is well-spoken and an impressive individual. If there are any pre-teen or teenagers, she will either have to leave or go into a state where she can’t even pick a chair to sit in. All the animals on our block come to see her daily, and one neighbor’s cat has moved into our yard for the past 3 years. Cole has a relationship with animals and any other living creature that is AMAZING.

I believe a Service Dog would be a critical component in helping Cole be able to become independent and be able to take college classes and interact in public. She needs to be able to become confident so that she can avoid panic attacks in public or work through them with her Service Dog the way she does with me. It is heart breaking to watch such an incredibly kind, intelligent and sensitive person not be able to pursue any interests or activities outside of our home independently.”

Well, dear Kendra, in Houston, has helped sweet Cole find the perfect dog for Cole! She writes: “I had the pleasure of working with Cole and her mom, Sherri today. After spending many minutes on the phone trying to find the perfect dog, we had a meet and greet today so I could see if the dog they found was finally the one. The dog was in a foster home with the greater Houston German Shepard Rescue; her name is Aurora. When we arrived, Aurora was in the kennel and she was barking because she was so excited to see Cole again. Cole and her mom had already met with Aurora when they went through the approval process. The foster mom let Aurora out of the crate and she ran to Cole! She was SO happy to see Cole again!

Aurora already knows many commands, such as “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and “shake”. I was able to touch all parts of Aurora’s body without any problems. I also was able to touch her mouth and all four paws. I made a loud noise behind her back and all she did was turn her head and look at me. She did awesome! After the evaluation, I went with the family to the pet store to help them get the items needed for Aurora. Once we had those items, we were able to go back to the foster and pick up the Aurora.

During this transition, Cole experiences a full panic attack and could not enter the home, so her mother and I went inside and brought Aurora to Cole. Aurora acted like she has been doing Service Dog work her whole life! She immediately leaned into Cole and licked her. Within a matter of minutes, the panic attack had passed and Cole was able to come inside. While her mom was signing the final papers for adoption, I worked with the team on walking in a “heel” and the proper placement. Aurora was already getting better after just a few minutes! After the adoption was final, I followed them to their house to help them get settled in. There, we put the kennel together and worked on some separation anxiety that the fosters had told us about when she is in the kennel. We worked on this until Cole was confident that tonight would go smoothly. We also worked on Aurora leaving the cat alone. Cole was having severe anxiety about the cat and the dog. The cat has been with her for 15 years! But it didn’t take long for the cat to establish her personal space. We also went over a feeding schedule, and got Aurora to sit while Cole put the food bowl down and release her to eat. We talk about so many things and Cole took to everything like a champ!

I know that Cole and Aurora are the perfect team, and I look forward to working with them again.”

Experience, Mobility, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Self Training, Virginia

Only 10 minutes to learn

2 Comments

From our wonderful trainer, Catherine, in Virginia, who is having some very new experiences with her SD, Baron! Despite have POTS and several other medical issues, she is a trainer extraordinaire! Catherine writes:

“Hi Laurie! So I’m up in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec in Canada. I was super worried about having issues with Baron being with me as my Service Dog, but I have had zero issues the last 2 days! I did bring his rabies certificate and vaccination records, and the certificate from SDE stating that he passed the PAT just in case, and I did have to show it once. Normally, I would have given a lecture about how it wasn’t required to show it like normal, but since it’s another country, I just showed them his vaccines and everything and they were satisfied. They weren’t really even questioning it; they just asked that if I did have any papers that I showed them, but if not it was alright.

This is Baron’s first time seeing snow so that has been a blast! My family is skiing but since I can’t with my leg and the PICC line I now have in (my health has been extremely bad), I’ve been just hanging out with Baron and teaching him new tasks. I attached a video of his newest one! Him picking things up for me has become one of his main tasks since I’ve been having a lot of mobility issues. We’re next working on him taking things from others (like my family) and bringing it to me and vice versa. Baron LOVES the mobility tasks – they’re his favorite!! Teaching him to “put it on the table” only took about 10 minutes! He loves learning those and looks so proud when he does!”

Equipment, Experience, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Dennis and Lily

An update from our trainer, Brenda, who is a paraplegic in a wheelchair and has a remarkably trained SD, Murray!! Brenda trained with Dennis, who was initially introduced to us by his pastor of 40 years, Mr. Adam Cork. He compassionately wrote:

“Dennis, who has been in a wheelchair for decades, just lost his dog of many years (not Service Dog trained) which has been very hard on him. His physical condition is declining. While he is still very independent, decline in his shoulders and decades in the chair are taking a toll. I think it would be good for him to have a Service Dog now to encourage him and provide a level of assistance.”

What a beautiful, caring Pastor who sought help for one of his congregation!!

Brenda has trained twice with Dennis and his dog, Lilly now, so that Lilly can become a Service Dog. She writes:

“At our first visit, Dennis and I met and went through the Public Access Test commands that we could do inside, as it was dark. Lilly completed #3, which is ‘controlled entry through a doorway’, #4, which is ‘heeling through a building’, and #9, which is eating at a table with Lilly in a down position under the table’ with ease. She is extremely obedient, even without treats; it’s out of pure love. The specialized tasks that Dennis wants Lilly to do are bracing, pulling, and offering comfort. I tested Lilly out with bracing like I do with my SD, Murray. Lilly was unable to keep her bottom up while bracing, which we will have to work on.

At our second session, we worked on outside PAT commands. Lilly did #1, which is ‘controlled unload out of a vehicle’ and #2, which is ‘approaching the building’ perfectly the 1st time, as Dennis has been taking her on rides. Dennis then took Lilly off lead, had her ‘sit/stay’, and rolled farther than 6ft with his back to her, turned and waited, then called her to him! He rolled up and down his driveway several times with her off lead, and was making sure she maintained the ‘heel’ position. Lilly was not distracted by anything, and was focused on Dennis. She is so easy to work with, and it only takes her a few times to understand what is expected of her. Dennis leashed her back up to see about pulling safely. Lilly did great, with minimal coaxing!”

Air Force, Anxiety, Army, Coast Guard, Marine, Military, Navy, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Don and Herman

Our trainer, Andrew, had a wonderful session with Don, a Wounded Warrior with PTSD and social anxiety who writes that he would like his Service Dog, Herman, “To be present with me in 90% of my activities. I wish to do car trips with him. He gives purpose to the things I do, including volunteer work at the hospital, church, or Police Department”. What a beautiful sentiment!

Andrew writes: “During this session, we went over the basics; “sit”, “down”, “wait”, “heel (loose)”, “don’t pull”, and some classical conditioning. This process is very effective, as Herman is already very well under control! The bond that he has with Don is joyful and happy. Herman is very attentive and very well-behaved. They are already well-practiced at walking to the coffee shop off leash!”

Army, Experience, Military, PTSD, Self Training, TBI, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Andrew and SDIT Mozzie

Please – EVERYONE with a Service Dog in Training, I would like you to please watch these amazing videos sent by long-distance Wounded Warrior client, Andrew, and his SDIT, Mozzie.

Mozzie, formerly known as “Ozzie”, was paired with a Wounded Warrior, Marine Andrew, while at Laurel Ridge. Andrew was in treatment for PTSD and TBI, and photophobia-induced migraines (notice the sunglasses in the videos. They did not hinder eye contact at all) . Andrew initially wrote to us the following: “I received a recommendation from my therapist and from my psychiatrist for a service dog. I came across Ozzie on the Service Dog Express website and he seems like a perfect fit for my personality, family, and upcoming life situation.”

Ozzie was found by Cherry Jenkins of In Dog We Trust rescue, and was being fostered by an amazing family in Houston. Ozzie was in a household where they could not keep him due to extenuating circumstances. Joey and I drove halfway to meet Ozzie and his “dad”, with whom he was extremely bonded. The father had tears in his eyes when we left with Ozzie, but he knew that Ozzie had amazing potential and wanted to donate him to Service Dog Express so that he could help a Wounded Warrior. Ozzie was basically completely untrained, but it was his ability to bond with his owner that let us know Ozzie could do this. Andrew and the donating family are in contact and Andrew provides them Mozzie updates.

We then took Ozzie to Cherry’s Rescue, where she gratefully kept him overnight. The next morning, our kind trainer Anthony picked up Ozzie and drove him to Laurel Ridge for the first meet and greet with Andrew and Andrew’s therapist, Kay. It was love at first sight.

Things moved fast. The next day, Andrew’s plane flight was scheduled earlier than we had thought. Cherry’s husband, Gregg, met me at the airport at 5:45 am with all of Ozzie’s things, and I met Andrew there where we went through Delta security (I obtained a gate pass). Andrew was completely prepared, and we made it to the gate just in time to go over the basics of flying and how long-distance training should proceed. Andrew had already contacted a Service Dog trainer near Camp Lejeune to set up training, and I made contact with the trainer to ensure continuity of the process. I watched as the plane flew away, praying all would go well!

WELL, here is the result. Not only did Andrew do everything by the manual, but he kept in constant communication with me regarding Mozzie’s progress and paperwork needs for registration in North Carolina.

Andrew’s videos of he and Mozzie literally blew me away regarding the precision of movements, the attention to detail, and the complete transformation of a regular family dog to a model example of a Service Dog in Training with an equally amazing handler. I evaluated Andrew and Mozzie on the Assistance Dog International Public Access Test checklist and recommended minor areas still needing to be addressed for me to sign off on the test.

All I can say is that Andrew’s work with Mozzie, and his evident absolute bond with Mozzie and love for him have far surpassed my expectations.

To all who were involved in this process to help one Wounded Warrior in need, I cannot express my gratitude enough.

Andrew – you are a shining example of what dedication, perseverance, and love can do despite everything you have been through. Your courage and drive are an inspiration to us all.

Laurie

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7lm6zk3i4wjxljn/AAC-tmoRxxRSWNWSoNfjE4aJa?dl=0
(Videos shared with Andrew and Mozzie’s permission)

Mobility, Multiple Sclerosis, San Antonio, Texas

Rowena and SDiT Blessed

From our trainer, Brenda, who is finally getting to work with some clients who have wheelchair-accessible homes, as Brenda herself is wheelchair-bound. Brenda has brilliantly been working with her SD, Murray, for almost two years now, so she knows the specific challenges for those in similar situations!

Brenda had her first two sessions with Rowena, who has MS and is in a wheelchair, and her SDIT, Blessed. Rowena and I had worked previously with her former SD, Lei Lani, who passed away due to old age. Blessed was matched with Rowena shortly after, and after a few sessions, I thought Rowena’s needs with Blessed would be more easily addressed by a trainer who experienced similar challenges. They did brilliantly together!!

Brenda writes:
“At our session, we did a brush-up on the basic commands. Rowena wanted to work on bracing so Blessed can help her off the floor and position herself in the chair. I worked with her showing the the two of them the correct place to stand and how to keep Blessed’s bottom off the floor when Rowena braces.

Rowena needs Blessed to lay down on command better and stay put. She had to physically manipulate Blessed to get her to do it at first, then Blessed would pop right back up. We worked first on just solidifying down, then down/stay. Once she was staying better, we were ignoring her and talking and increasing her stay time. At the end, she was laying down with minimal coaxing and staying totally relaxed!”

Mobility, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), San Antonio, Texas

Lauren and Gorgeous Goldendoodle Decker

From our trainer, Cherry, who is working with Lauren. Lauren suffers with Dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

“Today was our first training day. We spent the first few minutes discussing Lauren’s needs and what she wants from her gorgeous dog Goldendoodle, Decker.

We did some leash and position training, and I showed Lauren how to encourage Decker to walk close to Lauren in a heel position.  Lauren suffers with back pain and told me how much she would love it if we could train Decker to lay on her back, as pressure eases the discomfort.

We began by using her mom as help, and between us we slowly eased Decker into the position Lauren wanted. Decker was uneasy at doing it at first as it is not a normal thing for a dog to do – on the chest yes, but the back is a little different, especially asking him to stay there. But he did catch on soon and stay in position, and we were able to walk away.

Then we transferred the command to Lauren, who called Decker to her to lay on her back, pairing it with the words “walk on me” – which he did brilliantly. Lauren’s mom was so pleased she even took a video of it.

Tomorrow we are going to work on properly going through doorways and continue our leash work.

Lauren who is going to work hard on her homework!

Anxiety, Experience, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROL AND KENSI

CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROL AND KENSI, WHO PASSED THEIR PUBLIC ACCESS TEST!!!!! Carol and Kensi have been extremely consistent in their training, and it has paid off! Carol suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and other psychiatric issues. But she has overcome many of her symptoms with the help of now Service Dog Kensi and Andrew’s training!

“This was Carol and Kensi’s Public Access Test. We met up in front of Petsmart, and I followed them around as they performed the tasks required by the test – and let me tell you these two performed beautifully! They passed their test with 100% accuracy. Even though Carol was very nervous, I can honestly say that I have never seen such a wonderful match between a dog and human. When I first got Kensi as my foster, she was very scared of loud noises, and wanted to run away. She suffered from what we believe was a minute form of Canine PTSD as a result of the first two humans she was matched with who had violent outbursts resulting from their own PTSD. Now that Kensi has been matched up with Carol, who is much more emotionally stable, she has excelled at her work. Complete turn around… I will stay in touch with these two as they have become my friends in this process. Below are some victory pictures!”

Andrew – I would like to personally add that knowing Kensi’s extensive history of trying to find the right home for her has been a true emotional roller coaster for Kensi. I still remember first meeting her – and how gentle and loving she was. Unfortunately, when we try to place dogs with clients, the dynamic doesn’t always work. Kensi has endured so much – and your dedication to not giving up on her and finding a wonderful, loving person like Carol absolutely turned Kensi’s life around; and I’m sure it has turned Carol’s life around. I am very, very proud of you, Andrew, Carol, and Kensi. – Laurie