Service Team | Cornwall, ON
Laura-Lee was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at the age of 11. Growing up on a hobby farm near Cornwall, Ontario, with her parents and three brothers, she was taught to value hard work and independence, “Growing up in my family, I was never treated any different then my brothers just because I had a disability. I was expected to do my chores and everything just like everyone else, I just had to figure out the right way that I could do it. This has led me to expect the same from myself as an adult. My independence is and always has been a huge thing for me.”
Laura-Lee graduated with her first Service Dog, Glory, in 2002 while she was a college student. She credits Glory with alerting her to a medical emergency and saving her life, “If not for Glory, and the LFC Dog Guides, I’m certain I wouldn’t be here today. This isn’t something a dog can be trained to do, but the bond that develops between a Dog Guide team is not like anything else and Glory proved that.”
Thanks to donations raised at our stores, Laura-Lee has been sponsored with her second dog, Kendall (Glory happily retired at home, and has since passed away). “Having a Dog Guide with me allows for me stay more independent. I can rely on Kendall to be there to help when I need it and not need to ask another person for help. We’re still a new team and our bond is growing with each day but Kendall is becoming an extension of me just as my first Service Dog, Glory was. I know I’m never alone and help is right there anytime its needed.”
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