Hero Dog Contest - Enter Today! CONTEST CLOSED
December 30, 2013
CONGRATULATIONS DAWN TAYLOR AND PIA PIA
Pia Pia, our Pug is our Hero Dog. Why? Initially when we rescued her we were just looking for a dog who could keep my husband company. Because he suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and hearing loss and was retired we thought it was a good idea. It gave him a reason to walk and to do things. Since he retired and we moved things really started to affect him to the point he didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything, he just wanted to stay home. Having a dog I thought would help him but I had no clue that she would literally turn our lives around. After we rescued her we needed to get her eyes fixed, being a pug her eyes were bulging and the fear of them popping out was unsettling. A good canine optometrist helped us with that. Next was taking her to obedience training, in which we met a dog trainer who also trains service dogs. He noticed my husband’s lack of being involved and he being a veteran himself recognized the signs. He introduced us to the founder of the local service dog trainer who trains mobility, hearing, and now PTSD dogs for veterans. At first they were hesitant because she was a pug but with hard work, dedication on her part, my husband’s dedication, and the good trainers. Pia Pia became a hearing/PTSD service dog for my husband. Now he goes out shopping, we travel to see his children, and we travel in general whether by car, train, or plane. Within just a few years my husband went to a recluse to traveling on plane, seeing Yellowstone National Park, Little Big Horn, Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis Bike Fest, the birth of his first grandson, Washington DC, and meeting so many of our friends in between. It is like he has a new lease on life. We both know as well as our family and friends know NONE of it would have been possible without our little Hero Dog – Pia Pia our Pug. She rescued us as we rescued her.
**************************
Is your FIDO a hero dog?
What does he do to make him a hero in your eyes?
Tell FIDO Friendly in your own 450 words and if your essay is chosen it will appear in an upcoming issue of FIDO Friendly magazine. Please include a photo of you and your dog. Photo must be high-resolution, 300 dpi tif or jpg to be considered. Essays without photos will not be considered.
Send to Contest@FIDOFriendly.com (Please reference DUKE in the subject line)
The contest runs from January 1, 2014-January 31, 2014
The winner will also receive the DVD Duke. A Hallmark Movie Channel Original inspired by a true story featuring Steven Weber as a marine sergeant returning from Iraq with both PTSD and a disabling injury. Feeling like a burden, he leaves his family and takes his dog Duke with him to live on the streets.
Related contests
