PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – Dogs can be man’s best friend and give unconditional love to their owners.
And, with proper training, they can also save the lives of someone going through trauma or experiencing a medical or mental crisis.
Hub City Service Dogs trains dogs up to support folks with conditions like post traumatic stress disorder or autism, as well as others like diabetes and high blood pressure.
“If their blood sugar runs too high or too low, obviously they can become in jeopardy,” HCSD Executive Director Angela Davis-Brown said. “The dogs can smell that and alert. They can do that for children and for adults.”
Davis-Brown said the organization takes a coaching and task-based approach to training the dogs.
But, she said, it’s also important for the dogs to build intimate relationships with their owners.
“They are in the home with the person who is going to be using the services of the dog, and they train them together,” Davis-Brown said. “So, it’s a learning experience.
“It’s custom-trained, so the time frame depends on what we’re training for.”
Scott Wilson heads Wild Rose Kennels’ Service Companion Program for Mississippi.
The program pairs folks with dogs to go along with them for adventures or be therapy dogs.
“We placed a dog with a veteran with PTSD, and she just took her first plane trip with her service dog,” Wilson said. “It’s a miracle.”
Wilson and his wife, Roxy, have three dogs they’ve adopted that go along with them everywhere.
He said the connection between them is a deep one.
“We’ve been in airplanes,” said Wilson. “They heel like horses. They ride in ferry boats. They’ve been bass fishing with me.”
But the dogs aren’t cheap, and cost nearly $40,000, depending on training and services needed.
Hub City Service Dogs has financial assistance available for folks looking to get a service dog.
Find out more by clicking HERE.
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