Janelle & Huxley
The Road Back
First responders are heroes within our communities. They rush toward danger while others flee, respond to crises, and support people through some of life’s most difficult moments. In doing so, they are regularly exposed to traumatic incidents, high-stress environments, and long shifts—all in service of protecting the public and creating safer, healthier communities.
While they may not wear capes, first responders are everyday superheroes.
But behind their bravery can be invisible wounds. Repeated exposure to trauma can take a significant toll on mental health, and many first responders hesitate to seek help because of stigma, fear of judgement, or concerns about how it could impact their careers.
For Janelle, a former police officer who lives with PTSD and other injuries as a result of her career, asking for help was the first step toward reclaiming her life.
Janelle began her career as a first responder in 2014. After working in corrections and graduating from Red Rocks Police Academy, she entered law enforcement and built the career she had always dreamed of.
But everything changed in 2019 when Janelle was forced to use her firearm while responding to a call. From that day on, Janelle was never the same.
“PTSD is an injury, and after the incident, I was suffering greatly from it,” Janelle shared. “I gradually became more and more of a hermit. I created a bubble for myself that kept getting smaller. I wasn’t going to the grocery store, to the park with my kids, hiking, or going to the gym. I was staying up later and later and relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms. I wasn’t taking care of myself. I stopped all of it, and my physical and mental health took a toll.”
Hypervigilance, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and nightmares became Janelle’s reality.
After much consideration, she made the difficult decision to leave the job she had once loved for the sake of her well-being and health. But she didn’t want her impact to end there, so she started a new career with Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), helping to better prepare future members of law enforcement for critical incidents like the one she experienced.
Making a career change was an important step, but Janelle knew it wasn’t the end of her healing journey. She knew she would need help to reclaim the independence, confidence, and peace she had lost, and she refused to let fear of judgement and stigma keep her from seeking it.
When she found Freedom Service Dogs (FSD) and learned more about how dogs can make a difference for first responders living with PTSD, it didn’t take long before she submitted her application for a service dog. She was confident that a highly skilled canine partner could help her begin living life to the fullest again. And at the end of 2025, just before the holiday season, she was matched with an easygoing and playful service dog named Huxley.
“It was love at first sight,” Janelle recalled. “When we first met, he came right over and laid on me. I just took a deep breath and honestly felt like I could take a nap for the first time in years, which was a big deal for me since I sleep so little because of my PTSD. That’s when I knew Huxley was my dog. He was just so chill, and I really needed a dog to be the calm in the storm for me.”
Janelle and Huxley formed an immediate connection that gave her hopes for the future, but it wasn’t just their connection that transformed her life. Huxley’s custom-trained skills became an important part of her recovery.
He can help create space around Janelle in crowded areas, interrupt anxious behaviors, provide deep pressure therapy when she needs grounding, retrieve items she needs, and offer comfort during difficult moments. Together, these tasks help her navigate daily life with greater confidence and peace of mind. Janelle also notes how much he has helped her feel calmer and more rested.
“I used to stay up throughout the night, but because Huxley is very stubborn about his own bedtime, I find myself falling asleep earlier and earlier. And I sleep more soundly throughout the night knowing he’s there,” she shared.
Beyond the tasks he performs, Huxley has helped restore other things that are equally important: a sense of routine, a connection to herself and her loved ones, motivation to leave her home, and confidence in herself.
“My loved ones are happy to see me doing so well now and to know the ‘old Janelle’ is back,” she said. “I’m doing things I thought I would never get back to, like going to the gym. Spending time with him gets me out of the monotony of my daily life, and he motivates me to get outside, which is so good for my mind and body. Huxley and I are just getting started, really, and so much has changed already!”
Today, Janelle is building a new life where she can be the mother, wife, friend, and advocate for first responders she wants to be, with Huxley by her side every step of the way.
“Now, I’m open to anything and everything is a possibility again,” she shared. “I can’t say enough about Huxley and about FSD. Everybody there is so amazing, supportive, calming, and understanding. I get speechless when I try to put it into words. With them, I know I’m not alone, and I have all the support I need.”
After years of protecting and serving her community, Janelle now has a devoted partner looking out for her. Together, she and Huxley are proving that asking for help can be one of the bravest decisions a person can make.
September is National Service Dog Month!
You can help FSD partner more highly skilled service dogs with those who have served our country and communities, like Janelle, by leaving paw prints on our mission. We invite you to make a gift of any amount to support our life-changing work or join our community as a volunteer.
Dogs make a difference, and so can you!
LEARN ABOUT MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR WORK
If this story made your tail wag, you may also enjoy:
Vincent & Rumble: Service Dog Changes First Responder’s Life
Published 9/16/2026
Contact Erin Conley at [email protected] for all media inquiries.