I have struggled with debilitating back pain, balance difficulties, and limb weakness since I was 18. Before I found Great Lakes Assistance Dogs I was basically on house-arrest. My chronic back and neck pain kept me lying flat in bed most of the day, and I was only able to leave the house if I had someone else with me. I tried every type of medication, procedure, and treatments available to me but nothing has helped significantly; I knew that I needed to start looking for something to help me adapt to a new life.I spent two years researching service dogs and signed up with several big-named training centers. Once on the waiting list though, I was told it would take over five YEARS before I could be placed with a service dog! This was unacceptable to me; I needed help now and didn’t want to wait so incredibly long for a dog that might not have been the best fit for me anyways. This is when I found GLAD Dogs and Dr. Nikki Kersey.I am not the easiest person to please and always have high expectations of anyone I work with. Nikki and her staff are knowledgeable and understanding of any needs you might have. GLAD may not have the size of some of the well-known places but believe me, this is a good thing! I love that I was able to take such a hands-on part in training my mobility service dog Charlie. Through GLAD I was able to get everything in a service dog that I need and I haven’t been happier.
Great Lakes Assistance Dogs, Inc is a program initiative of the Child Wellness Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We strive to provide the highest quality Assistance and Social Therapy dogs to children and adults with special needs such as ADHD, emotional impairments and Autism as well as mobility restrictions. It is our goal to train each dog to meet the specific needs of the individual. We believe that the assistance dogs provide an animal-human bond that will greatly improve the quality of life by providing social interaction, trust, bonding and increased independence.
There is no doubt as to the benefit of a well trained assistance dog for the physically challenged person. Recent studies have shown that the emotionally and developmentally challenged person can benefit from the use of Social Therapy dogs as well. Schools are now using dogs to assist children increase their reading ability by building confidence in the children. Dogs don't judge, they don't criticize and the are always ready to listen. For a person with Autism, ADHD and social or emotional impairments, assistance dogs can ad to their quality of live and give them a greater sense of independence.
