Heeling Allies' Testimonials...
MHSD, Blue
I
have suffered from severe depression, anxiety and agoraphobia for over
seven years with things seeming to get progressively worse every
passing year. Eventually I even stopped going into stores or
restaurants, waiting in the car while my husband shopped. With three
small children, I was painfully aware that I was creating a negative
impact on my kids' lives and memories. Being a military family, moving
and family separation is always a factor and I knew that I needed to
find more help than just my current medications in order to take care
of my family.
I
discovered Heeling Allies entirely by chance while doing a search on
assistance dogs from a recommendation from my doctor. Darcie called me
immediately and I felt hope for the first time in years as she talked
me through the process of choosing and training the perfect dog for me
and my needs. Darcie encouraged me to write a letter of support to
send out to my friends and family since money was a barrier in my
desire to find a medical alert dog. I was overwhelmed by the financial
support that was given by family and friends! None of them had been
aware of my issues, I had worked so hard for so many years to hide my
fears and anxiety by creating excuses to avoid social situations and
many other activities.
Darcie
has been my angel and found Blue, my handsome black standard poodle.
At first I was a little nervous about a stranger choosing the dog that
will be by my side constantly but Darcie seems to have a sixth sense
when it comes to dogs and pairing them with their owner. Blue wakes me
up in the morning either by alarm or when my youngest son cries,
reminds me to take my medications twice a day, Blue is by my side
throughout the house helping me to feel as if I'm not alone in my
anxieties and most of all he provides a calming presence and
distraction while in stores. Now I can go freely into stores once again
and not feel as if everyone is pressing in around me. People
automatically give us a wider berth and when it does get crowded, Blue
presses up against me which automatically turns my attention to him
rather than the crowds. I had forgotten what this type of freedom felt
like and I am thankful every single day that I found Darcie and Heeling
Allies.
Darcie
continues to check in with Blue and I, she is always willing to answer
questions that arise, offer advice and support. She is an amazing
woman and I would refer anyone who is considering an service dog to
contact Heeling Allies. It is a decision that I will never regret.
- L.R.
ESD, Mori
My
older daughter has had immense struggles attending school, due to her
anxiety and bipolar disorder. Her therapist suggested considering an
Emotional Support Dog to help reduce her anxiety.
I knew virtually
nothing about this, so I did a lot of Internet research. As a recently
divorced father with very little extra time, I wanted to make sure that I
worked with people that specially trained dogs for children with
disabilities (versus going to a shelter or a breeder). I contacted a
few companies that provided this kind of service, and Heeling Allies responded
right away. I let Darcie know my daughter's struggles and the type of
family we had. She listened very well to our needs, completed a home
visit to assess our home environment (and to ensure the selected dog
was getting a proper home), and selected an amazing dog that she started
the training process. Darcie was able to select a dog with an amazing
temperament, high intellect and a truly wonderful personality.
Our dog,
Mori, has provided a sense of calmness and fun in my daughter's life.
We've brought Mori to my daughter's counseling meetings and other
locations, and he has turned out to be a perfect addition to our family.
In fact, he has helped my younger daughter and me too.
-K.S.
MHSD, Henry
I've been depressed for most of my life. You could say I was pretty damaged as a kid. All through adulthood, I hung in with the use of just about every anti-depressant on the market. Last year I really started falling into "the abyss" worse than anything ever before and lasting longer than anything ever before. I had to stop working. I tried more drugs - dangerous drugs that I had to quit, and finally ECT.
Then my psychiatrist put me on "the drug of last resort." When my 90 day supply came in the mail, I wrote a brief goodbye letter and then took all 90. The next thing I knew I was in Harborview high security psych. ward.
During one of my group meetings, with several Dr.'s and a good friend and my partner, someone mentioned the possibility of having a Mental Health Service Dog. That was the first time I showed any hope about living.
Now I am back at work, and I have Henry, a rescued Labrador Retriever to be with me all the time. He helps me so much. All I have to do is look at him, and I am back to a safe place, and I know I can make it.
When I got Henry he was fully trained, which took a lot of burden off of me. In my mental state, I might not have been able to do it myself given my condition (I'm still on a high risk drug). I know that he is trained well, my work embraced his coming with me, and they might not have if her weren't trained professionally. It gives him a lot of credibility as a Service Dog.
I love Henry and he knows how to keep me away from the abyss. I can take him to work, where I need him, and he is very serious when he is there, and very popular with the staff. He has his own business card and his own e-mail. A blog was written about him, and a patron saw him in the elevator and asked if that was "the Henry from the blog site." He's not all serious though, when we get home, we have play time, and lots of walks (he keeps me going).
When it does come time for training, Heeling Allies will work with you to suit what you need. I needed to work around a part-time work schedule and they accommodated. They've provided me with my constant, unconditionally loving companion. They've been great.
- M.B.
ESD, Luke
Hi Darcie,
I just want you to know what a wonderful gift Luke is to us. Darren has
laughed more in the past three weeks than we have seen in a long time. He
gets out often with Luke. He hugs Luke and pets him and wraps both arms
around him. The other morning I noticed that Darren was hugging Luke in
bed as if Luke were a teddy bear. Luke seems to enjoy all the affection
and follows Darren around every step when he can. Darren sometimes is
concerned about whether it’s OK to give Luke so many hugs and snuggling, but
I’m pretty sure Luke really likes it.
When Darren is working and Luke is here, we enjoy Luke and take him out for
walks or little romps in the backyard. The other day I took Luke out while I
was working in the yard and Luke seemed to enjoy that, too.
Please let Luke’s
previous owners know that Luke really seems to be helping Darren a lot.
He is so patient about receiving affection from Darren and about sleeping
in when Darren sleeps in. He is so enthusiastic about going out to play.
He is so willing to accompany Darren when he has places to go where it is
appropriate for a dog to go. He is giving Darren love and giving him someone to
love, someone to wake up for. Even Darren’s therapist has commented that
Luke is helping Darren make progress in the work they are doing together.
Luke often goes with Darren to his therapy appointments. So we give
a BIG thank you to these wonderful people for giving up Luke to Heeling Allies
and into Darren’s care. We truly think this is making a big difference in
Darren’s life.
Darren has been talking about doing the training with Luke so that he can pass
the test to volunteer as a dog to visit in hospitals or rehab centers. I
hope Darren does carry through with that because I think it would be good for
Darren and also that Luke would enjoy it and other people would benefit from
this wonderful dog.
Just wanted to keep you posted on my perspective on this great animal.
- K.P,
Darren’s Mother
MHSD, Rocky
I am delighted that I have teamed up with my service dog
Rocky. As a person who has struggled with symptoms from chronic
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Major Depression for most of my life
- I can not express the joy at having found a holistic approach to reducing my
symptoms.
It is important to me to have
a trainer who is calm and confident – and who can help keep me calm and
focused. It is not always easy for
a person to team up with a trained service dog with the various symptoms that
can present with mental health issues.
At Heeling Allies I have been treated with kindness and understanding
that enables me to perform better instead of triggering me to perform in a
reactive state. Darcie Boltz at
Heeling Allies is wonderful with me and my service dog and we both excel under
her direction.
Prior to having Rocky I did not go outside alone even to
get the mail. I would drive to the
mailbox, to work, to the store, home and a few other choice locations that I
felt comfortable to go to – but mostly I was shut in to my home unless somebody
went with me. I did not even know
my neighbors. Rocky has given me
the purpose to take him outside even in the dark. He gives me relief from feelings of isolation, and
distraction from worries and anxieties.
He makes me laugh!
There
are a number of benefits of having a human-canine relationship just by having
them present. But in addition to
the regular benefits – after placing Rocky in training through Heeling Allies –
he
gained great skills in public access. In addition he has been trained to alert
me to a change in my mental state, assist during a panic/anxiety attack and
decrease my anxiety by licking and nudging me. He is averting my attention during obsessive-compulsive
behaviors by barking and nudging me.
He is waking me up during nightmares and sleep apnea episodes and
staying close to allow for tactile stimulation and grounding. He stands behind me providing a sense
of security when I am at an ATM or other situations where I feel better having
an alert at my back. He also stays
close to me, focuses on me and assists for me to cope with emotional
overload. He is very young
and will be gaining even more skills as time goes on.
Darcie has been a great support to me as I adjust to the
lifestyle of having a service dog. It is not an easy adjustment and I do
not think I could do it without her support. Many people are judgmental
about service dogs and can be very insensitive and mean. Shih Tzu’s are not your ‘normal looking’
service dog and mental health disabilities are not normally visible to the eye
so we are big targets for the insensitive people. I have been grateful to have her support as I work through
my sensitivity and gain knowledge about if and how to address people in certain
cases.
In addition Darcie has met with us to give us refresher
courses and has been available by phone and email to answer my questions.
I would recommend Heeling Allies to others and will come back to them in the
future if I need another service dog.
- K.D.
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