Dr Kelly Fleming

Losing a service dog is one of the greatest losses I’ve ever known.

I’ve lost my Grandma, my Mum, and my Dad all within 6 years of each other.

I’ve lost more friends in the past 10 years than I want to even try to count.

Losing a service dog who was by my side 24/7 for 11 years – my arms, my legs, my eyes and my ears is devastating.

Our relationship lasted longer than many marriages do and our closeness is indescribable. He knew what I needed before I said anything. I knew what he needed before he asked.

In 11 years we were only apart for a total of one month.

Now there’s no one to warm my bed, no one turning over at night or turning me over. No one to kick me to get more space in my double bed. I often found myself sleeping on the edge of the bed with my feet on the body pillow at the back of HIS bed because he decided to stretch out. No one to lay on top of my legs to keep them in place when I was falling asleep.

No one to tell me someone is at the door when the delivery people don’t ring the doorbell that alert me with lights.

No one to be in the bathroom to make sure I’m safe.

It will be a long wait for a successor puppy because the school closed for a year the first year of the pandemic.

I’ve loved all my boys but 11 years… There are no words.

Everything I took for granted – someone to pick something up when I dropped it, turn me over in bed, help me transfer safely, help me get undressed if there was no human PSW here.

He was a canine PSW and so much more.