Today is World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. Several of the people matched with our dogs have this condition, so in recognition, we wanted to highlight the life-changing difference our dogs make by featuring one of our partnerships; Denise Ridley with her assistance dog Dusty.
Denise was diagnosed with MS nine years ago, and began experiencing extreme fatigue about a year after her diagnosis. Soon she was unable to walk even the shortest of distances. In September 2013 however, everything changed when Denise was matched with black Labrador Dusty.
Dusty helps Denise by picking up anything she drops, filling and emptying the washing machine and fetching items such as the post or TV remote. As a result of having Dusty, Denise found she was no longer as fatigued in the evenings, meaning she enjoys a better quality of life. “Dusty gives me more impetus to go out; everyone locally knows her and I’ve got a real local presence in my community because of Dusty.”