Dogs are typically described as man’s best friend. Capable of providing companionship and security, dogs can also help their owner with specialized tasks.
Dogs can be trained to find narcotics, accelerants and help people cope with medical ailments.
Kayla Smith deals with post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety due to being the victim of a sexual assault earlier in her life. Four months ago she took in a German Shepherd by the name of Vannah, an 11-month-old pet she intends to train to help her overcome her disorders.
Smith said that Vannah’s previous owner was less than kind, but ever since she was rescued by the Smith household, a new bond has been established.
“We’ve been inseparable ever since,” Smith said.
Since taking Vannah in, Smith has worked with the canine to teach her simple commands, but wants to have her professionally trained as a service dog.
In order to have Vannah trained professionally, Smith said she needs to come up with a down payment of $1,500 towards the larger cost to have the dog trained at Hub City Service Dogs.
Smith became aware that she could benefit from a service dog after the birth of her fourth child. While seeking medical help for her anxiety, a doctor advised her that it would be therapeutic to acquire a service dog.
Once trained, Smith said Vannah would be able to calm her during anxiety attacks.
Hub City Service Dogs Executive Director Angela Davis-Morris said their facility can train dogs to help people dealing with a number of obstacles. The dogs can be trained to recognize when the owner is suffering from anxiety and calm them before the situation escalates, and even help move them to a less crowded area. The dogs can also be trained to help people with diabetes and seizures. In the case of juvenile diabetes, the dog would alert the parent that the child needs minor medical assistance before the situation becomes more severe.
Davis-Morris said once the $1,500 down payment is raised, Smith has indicated she plans to pay for the rest of the training through a payment plan.
The training can take up to two years, but it’s up to the owner how long the actual timeframe will be. Up to once a week the dog and owner work with Hub City Service Dogs staff, and then are given homework to conduct in-between the weekly sessions. Davis-Morris said the training involves 50 sessions, so if sessions are held weekly, it can take as little as a year to certify the dog.
Smith said she has a gofundme account to raise money for the training, which can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/2w25vx0.
Alternately, donations can be sent directly to Hub City Service Dogs. The address listed on their website is, 3422 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39402.