Dorothy & Wheeler

“M.S. makes walking extremely difficult and falls are frequent. Just crossing a familiar room has to be planned in advance (what are the obstacles, what can I hold on to, etc.), but Wheeler takes this stress away because he does the navigating, helps me get up, and I can always hold on to him and keep my balance.” – Dorothy

Dorothy’s M.S. prevents her from doing everyday things we take for granted. Even going for a short walk can be daunting. However, after just two months of being with Wheeler, he has changed her life.

“Walks are short and slow, but I couldn’t even do that before. And I can go to the store when I need to and not worry about falling – this is a huge blessing!!”

Not only does Wheeler help Dorothy walk and get up after a fall, but he can also pick things up for her, get the phone and find help if she needs it. Wheeler has both improved Dorothy’s quality of life and become a part of her family.

M.S. has been difficult for Dorothy, both physically and financially. She has had more medical expenses than the average person, as well as a loss of income from not being able to work. Having a service dog seemed like an “impossible dream” for Dorothy due to the costs of training and preparing a dog. Freedom Service Dogs came to her rescue by providing Wheeler at no cost.

Dorothy is not only thankful for Wheeler and the dedicated group of staff and volunteers at Freedom Service Dogs, but she is also thankful for all donations given by thoughtful people. Dorothy truly feels that “not only are you saving dogs and people, but you can actually see donations at work in the lives that are impacted.”

Stories like Dorothy’s are only possible because of donors like you. And for that, we could never thank you enough.