Holm woman hails life-changing canine companion

A Holm woman has shared how a very special assistance dog has “completely changed” her life, by helping her with everything, from popping to the shops to making emergency calls.

Terri-jane, 47, from Holm, uses a mechanised wheelchair to move around, after she had a seizure in 2013 that resulted in her left side being paralysed, and leaving her without sensation there. She also suffers from fibromyalgia, first diagnosed in 2008, a chronic disorder that can cause — among other symptoms — muscle stiffness, pain in the body, and what Terri describes as “memory gaps.”

However, help is at hand — or rather at paws — thanks to Leo.

Leo, four years old, is a labrador-cross-retriever, and is an official assistance dog.

“Leo has two personalities — he has his working head, and he has his plonker head of a bonkers puppy labrador. You get the best of both worlds,” said Terri.

“Leo plays a very, very big part in my life. He helps from the most basic of things, like picking things up that I drop and can’t reach, to helping to put the washing out.”

The full story can be found in this week’s edition of The Orcadian, available now.