At first, I thought I wanted to be an Education Assistant, because of how much I love being in the schools (Silky loves all the attention she gets from the kids, too!) After spending two years back at school myself, as a student, I realized how much more I can do to help other people in wheelchairs now that I have Silky by my side.
In my previous life as a physiotherapist, my patients used to tell me that when you sit in a wheelchair people don’t talk to you. I didn’t really believe it until the first time I was out in public in a chair.
Vespa was a hard worker, and yet so easy going. She enjoyed a night out on the town or an evening in to nap when I wasn’t feeling well. She was quite happy to accompany wherever I went and we were never at any loss for people to talk to. People loved to approach us and ask questions or chat and I certainly didn’t mind chatting with strangers. She was a great conversation starter.
Murphy was serious about her alert work. She loved those treats, which meant never having to miss a knock at the door, phone call, any alarm, or the minute my morning coffee finished percolating.
I received PADS Accredited Facility Dog Milan in July of 2016. The work that she does with my clients and the enormous impact that she has had on my workplace goes with out saying. She is exactly as advertised.
About seven years ago we were in a great period of transition; jobs were changing and our hopes of having a family were dashed by illness and long adoption waiting lists. While out walking one day, we spotted a woman walking a yellow lab with a bright yellow cape. We saw the PADS logo and started talking about what it would be like to give back to the community like that.